Royal Blood: Sound Arc
by fdty
Summary: Where fairytales are real, and vampires rule the night, Sasuke will learn what his role is in the history of the world, and what he must do. SASUSAKU TRILOGY
1. Party

"Yes! School is finally out!" shouted a hyper-active blonde. "I swear, this will be the best summer ever! Why? Because it will be the first summer after high school graduation!"

"Will you stop jumping around? You're starting to make a scene," said a boy with spike, raven hair. Both were eighteen going on nineteen, walking out of Konoha High School for the very last time—as students, that is.

"Oh, can't you enjoy something for once in your life, Sasuke?" Naruto asked teasingly. They climbed into Sasuke's black convortable. He had bought with the family fortune his parents had left. They had died in a car accident and his older brother, Itachi, moved out when Sasuke turned eighteen. Naruto never knew his parents, but was raised by Iruka, a friend of the family. As they were driving down the road, the unexpected happened. Sasuke let out a loud:

"YES!!" Naruto stared in shock. "No more rabid fangirls, fifty year old pedophile teachers, no more tests, nothing! We just have to get threw a little bit of college and we'll be done!" Naruto smiled.

"I personally can't wait for college. That's when we get to have REAL parties—like on MTV spring break!" he said, grinning. Sasuke smirked, turning back to the road.

"Naruto, this is the first day of the rest of our lives!"

As they drove along Naruto's cell phone rang. "Talk to me," he said after flipping it open. After a moment he said, "Cool, we'll be there!" and closed it. Sasuke glanced at his friend suspiciously.

"We'll be where, dobe?"

"Hyuga's; he's holding an end of the year party tonight at his house." Sasuke turned his attention back to the road, heading for his house.

"So things are cool between you and Neji?" he asked in monotone. The last time he heard, Neji still hated Naruto.

"Are you kidding? The only reason why he is letting me come is because Hinata forced him to invite me. He'll always hate me!" he said, laughing.

"Sometimes I wonder if the tension between you two has more to it than Hinata."

"Please; she's his cousin, and I'm her boyfriend. What more could there possibly be?" As they pulled into Sasuke's driveway, Naruto's cell phone rang again. He answered it while they got out of the car. "Hello? Oh, hey Iruka! What's up?... I'm at Sasuke's, why?...Oh, I see. Well, hey, you don't mind if I go to a party with him tonight, do you?...Hyuga's….parental supervision? Uh, nooooo….." By this time they were in Sasuke's kitchen. He smirked at the parental supervision comment. "Oh, c'mon! Like we need to be supervised!...I don't , midnight, maybe?—Nine! No fair, eleven—11:30—fine, eleven. Bye." Sasuke gave Naruto a glass of Coke.

"Iruka gave you a curfew, huh?"

"Yep." They went in the living room and started watching afternoon sports while reminiscing their high school years and talking about how glad they were that it was all over. "So, are you going to that party tonight, or what?" Naruto asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Sasuke gave him a slight glare before sighing in defeat.

"Fine, I'll go. But the moment any girl gets all touchy-feely with me, I'm out.

"Yeah, whatever!"

* * *

**LATER THAT NIGHT…**

The two boys were walking up the steps of the Hyuga mansion. Naruto was clad in tan khakis and an orange shirt with a large white swirl on the back, his blonde hair gelled. Sasuke had on black, slightly baggy, jeans and a white flannel shirt, two buttons undone; his hair looked like it always did. Naruto knocked twice on the large double doors. It was answered by Lee. He was wearing one of his creepy green muscle shirts.

"Hey, you two; come in and make yourself comfortable!" he welcomed, stepping aside to let the two teenagers inside. Sasuke had to admit, considering they were standing inside the home of the always-formal Neji Hyuga, the placed looked like an actual night club. There were different colored lights going everywhere in the dark room, music that will turn you deaf for a few days if you stand too close to the speakers, which were in the corners of the room, and there were bodies grinding to the beat of the music, in sync with the thrilling atmosphere around them. Sasuke noticed Naruto walking away at a fast pace.

"Ditching me, are you?" he screamed over the noise. Naruto turned his head back to the Uchiha.

"I just saw some guy hitting on Hinata!" he screamed back, a whining tone in his voice.

"Fine, go!" He sighed inaudible; he knew his best friend well enough to know how overprotective Naruto was of his girlfriend. She really meant a lot to him; Sasuke guessed it was probably because of the fact that Hinata was one of the few people who was there for him when Iruka was in the hospital. Sasuke walked over to the far end of the large room and leaned against the wall in a relaxed position. He wasn't really in the mood to throw himself out in a crowd of sweaty people—most of whom he'd never seen before in his life.

"You know, the point of coming here was to mingle with other people," a deep, familiar voice stated. Sasuke glanced towards its source.

"Then explain why you are here, Gaara." The red-head shrugged lazily.

"Temari and Kunkuro dragged me hear. Temari wanted to take Nara back from Yamanaka and Kunkuro just likes to be around a lot of crazy women," he said, coming over to lean against the wall, next to Sasuke.

"I'm only here because Naruto somehow convinced me to come. And I can't exactly leave whenever I want to because I am his ride home, and he and Hinata might take a while until they feel they'll live without seeing each other until tomorrow." Gaara nodded.

"I know what you mean; I've seen how he is around her. That girl has really changed him since when I met him. He used to be all gangster before she showed up in his life—getting hooked on all of the latest drugs without Iruka knowing. I'll see you around, Uchiha; I've got to go find my brother before he gets some innocent girl laid." And with that, Gaara walked off, disappearing in the sea of people. For the next fifteen minutes, Sasuke made some small talk with some of the other guys from his class. So far, none of the girls had started flirting with him.

"Hey, cutie! You wanna dance?" a girl asked seductively, latching herself onto his arm.

So much for that thought.

Sasuke gently but firmly shrugged the girl off of his and went to find Naruto. He quickly found the blonde in a large chair with Hinata in his lap. He walked straight up to them.

"Hey, I'm heading home; call when you need a ride." Naruto watched him walk off. Once Sasuke was out of the large house, he nuzzled his face in Hinata's neck. She giggled when he planted light, feathery kisses from her neck to her shoulder. After this little display, he took in her addictive scent—but he also caught a whiff of something else. Gently lifting Hinata off of him, he stood up and sniffed the air again—this time, much more slowly and cautiously. There it was again, but this time, stronger.

"You smell one, don't you?" she asked softly. Naruto turned to her.

"I'm sorry to cut the night short, but I have to go. I promise I'll make it up to you," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Go; find out who is in our town."

He turned around and walked swiftly through the crowd.

* * *

Sasuke, finding the silence peaceful, walked down the street, looking for his car. He was guessing it was about a quarter of a block away.

"_Sasukeeeeeee!"_

He froze. Suddenly the dead silence was no longer peaceful; it was now unusually eerie.

"_Oh, Sasukeeeeee!"_

There it was again! Sasuke spotted his car in the distance and, finding his legs, took off at a faster pace. When he got to the car door, he fumbled with his keys and dropped them; his hands were shaking, something that never happened. He looked down at the ground: no keys. He got down on his hands and knees, bending down even more to see them somehow under his car, a few feet in. slowly, he reached under the car and stretched for his keys, grabbed them, and then came back up, brushing himself off. As he was about to unlock the car door he was sharply whipped around by the shoulders with his back being roughly shoved against his car.

"Hello, Sasuke!" the newcomer hissed. It was too dark for the teen to see who it was, so Sasuke shoved him off and ran for it as fast as his legs would take him, but the other man was much faster. Before Sasuke had even taken five steps he was taken down to the ground, being spun around in the process, with his wrists pinned down above his head; this was when he got a better look at his attacker. The man sitting on his lower torso looked like he was around 50 years old. He had long, greasy black hair with chalk-white skin. There was purple eye-makeup going from around his eyes and down the sides of his pointed nose. His face was unhealthily boney. He also had yellow, cat-like eyes that were slowly turning into a blood red.

What really caught Sasuke's attention, though, was how strong this man seemed to be for his age. All he was doing was sitting on Sasuke's stomach while pinning his hands by the sides of his head (which was freaking the teen out to a whole new level), yet Sasuke couldn't move at all. Through his panic, he managed to find his voice.

"Get the hell off of me, you child molester!" he yelled, his voice coming out strong. The man let out a dark chuckle.

"Oh, that is far from what I am, dear boy! A pedophile, _maybe_, but never a child molester! And yes, there is a difference," he said. He bent down and took a long sniff at the side of Sasuke's neck. "You're a ripe one, aren't you?" he whispered. Sasuke could feel his slimy tongue running over a small area on his neck. "I hope you scream; it makes the experience much more interesting for me!"

Before Sasuke's mind could register what was going on, the old man had bitten into Sasuke's neck—hard—and started to drink the blood that was oozing out of the wound, sucking on his neck to get more to come out.

It was the most painful thing Sasuke had ever experienced.

The spot that the man had his mouth on felt as if it were on fire. And each time the man sucked on the wound, the fire would spread further throughout all of his body. Sasuke finally let out a blood-curdling scream; one that just had to have loud enough for people at the Hyuga's to hear over the pounding music. Sasuke tried again and again to get the old man off of his body, but each attempt became more futile than the last. His throat hurt from the screaming, and he couldn't scream anymore. Each breath he took was a major struggle, and his body was searing in pain. Sasuke could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into his final, and eternal, rest; and no one would ever know what had happened to him. He didn't even know what was happening to him! All he knew what that he wanted death to come so the unearthly pain would be gone. Before losing consciousness, all he could make out was all of the weight being forced off of him, and someone, it seemed like they were far away, was calling out to him. Over and over again.

* * *

**Yep, new story, people! So, as you can probably tell, it is a vampire story!! Yes, sasusaku, but that will come later--trust me! I get all vampire related stuff from things like:**

**Buffy the Vampire Slayer**

**Moonlight**

**Vampire Kisses**

**Twilight series**

**If you have any questions, just put it in the review or PM me!**


	2. Life changes

**Yes! New chapter! This is a long one, just so you know. Okay, now for the desclaimer...thing...**

**Sakura: HyperLemur does not own Naruto or the idea of vampires.**

**Sasuke: But she does own the idea's of what I do to Sakura! smirks**

**Insert sounds of slapping.**

6 DAYS LATER….

Nothing.

Small bits and fragments of feeling, starting at his fingertips, then spreading throughout his body.

Now, thoughts.

Opening his eyes, he saw his room. He was in his bed. Sasuke looked around from his position and saw a bucket of water next to the bed with a used washcloth draped sloppily over the side of the bucket. It was dark in the room.

"You're awake," he heard. Sasuke averted his eyes to see Naruto sitting I a corner across the room.

"I-I'm alive?" he asked quietly. Naruto, seemingly uncomfortable with the question, slowly got up and sat down in a chair next to Sasuke's bed.

"About being 'alive'…..in a way, you sort of , well…..aren't," he mumbled. Sasuke sat up and turned to face him.

"What do you mean? I'm here, aren't I?" he countered. Naruto was silent for another moment or two.

"What all do you remember from what happened after the party?" he asked slowly. Sasuke closed his eyes and racked his brain for anything he could remember from that night.

"I was leaving early, attacked by a Michael Jackson impersonator, then he bit me, and…uh…"

"No, it's okay! That's all need to hear, really. Don't need to stress yourself. You know, now that I think about it, can you remember what the man looked like?"

"Um……long, black hair, pale face, crazy purple eye makeup, and he looked like he was in his fifties." Naruto looked away for a moment.

"It was Orochimaru?" he mumbled.

"What does this have to do with anything? Naruto, you are not telling me something. What is it?" Sasuke demanded.

"Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it. That man that bit you—he isn't fifty. He's actually at least 5000 years old."

"How is that possible?" Sasuke asked, feeling a bit skeptic. Naruto took a deep breath.

"Well……he's a vampire."

"A vampire?"

"Yes. And since he bit you, you, to, Sasuke, are a vampire." Sasuke let out a harsh laugh. He got up and walked across the room to go and open the curtains.

"Good one, dobe; please, a _vampire_? That's crazy!" he said.

But the moment he opened the curtains, and the late-morning sunlight hit is hands and for arms, things started happening. The sun-exposed skin slowly started to singe, and then it was burning, and before he knew it, his hands burst into flames. Sasuke quickly jumped back into the shadows of his room and stared at his hands. As Naruto rushed over and closed the curtains back up, Sasuke watched as the pale skin on his hands slowly began to heal back, and make it look like nothing had ever happened. He could almost still feel the sting of the fire.

"Wha—what was that?" he asked, out of breath. Naruto turned to him again.

"Your body still isn't used to the venom that Orochimaru injected into your bloodstream from when he was feeding on you. I already told you, Sasuke; you are a vampire. Any questions?" Sasuke slowly made his way back to his bed, still staring at his hand.

"How do you know so much about all of this?" Naruto came over and sat back down on the chair next to the bed.

"Well, believe it or not, my father was a vampire, so I've inherited a couple of traits that a vampire has."

"You're part vampire?" Sasuke asked, astounded. "What did you inherit?" Naruto thought to himself for a moment.

"Let's see…speed, some strength, strong sense of smell, and I think that's about it!" he answered cheerily.

"What will I be able to do as a vampire?" Sasuke asked, mostly to himself. Naruto leaned back in the wooden chair.

"Well, you're going to be eighteen forever—you won't age at all. Inhuman strength and sped, all of you senses will strengthen one-hundred fold; that's all I can remember. Soon, you'll be able to go out into sunlight for periods of time without combusting, depending when you last fed," he said casually. Sasuke has a sudden thought occur to him and his face scrunched up in disgust.

"I don't have to drink blood, do I?"

"I know it sounds gross, but you're supposed to like it; wait right here." Naruto was gone and back in less than one second flat with a bag of red liquid in his hand. He tossed it to Sasuke, who caught it with sharp reflexes. "Drink up!" he chimed. Sasuke took one look at the bag of blood and mentally cringed.

"How do I-?"

"You bite into it," Naruto answered quickly. "Though, you might want to take it to the bathroom—since it's your first, you might spill a little," he said while walking out of the room. _'Maybe I should have gotten him a sippie cup?'_ Naruto wondered.

* * *

Sasuke walked down the hall and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He brought the bag up to his face. '_Sense of smell?'_ he smelled the bag; nothing. Then another thought came to his mind. With his thumb, he turned his upper lip out of the way, showing his teeth. '_Nope, no fangs.'_ He looked again and his 'meal'. Brining the bottom corner of the bag up to his mouth, he pit into the plastic. Then he started to suck out the contents.

It tasted so wonderful! To him, it was like a little kid trying cotton candy for the first time. It was tart, but it was also sweet at the same time. Sasuke used his other hand to squeeze more of the blood out of the bag, desperately wanting more. Before he knew it, the blood was gone, drained from the bag. He got a wet washcloth to clean the blood that had drizzled from the corners of his mouth, but he licked what was left off of his fingers, trying to savor the taste.

After cleaning up a bit more, Sasuke walked downstairs to find Naruto on the phone and jotting down notes of something. He ended his conversation after Sasuke walked into the kitchen. "Who were you just on the phone with?" he questioned. Naruto was quiet for a moment before he answered with,

"The members of the Sheytes dynasty in London."

"Isn't that an ancient Islam group?" he asked, remembering something from History class.

"No, you're thinking of the Shiites. The Sheytes have been around for much longer."

So much for remembering what he learned—plus, Naruto remembered! "Why were you talking to them?"

"I had some questions on how to raise a newborn vampire, like you. You see, the dynasty has sent people all over the world to watch out for new vamps and to raise them up to the proper beliefs on how we should live, or 'survive', I should say. They want to keep the existence of vampires unknown to humans and they can't do that when people like Orochimaru are going out and biting people at random." Sasuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He eyed Naruto,

"You really know a lot about this, don't you?" Naruto shrugged modestly.

"Not really; Iruka knows so much more—he's a full vampire."

"Is that why I've never seen him outside your house? Because of the sun?" Naruto grinned.

"Oh, he goes outside sometimes, he just prefers the indoors. He says there isn't too much to do in a town like this. You'll have to talk to him about everything; your life is about to change drastically!" There was a knock on the door, and before Sasuke could blink, Naruto was already there answering it. "Iruka?" the blonde greeted, confused. Te amn was lready in the kitchen.

"Hello, Sasuke, it's good to see you again."

"What are you doing here, Iruka?" Naruto asked, back in the kitchen. He turned towards the blonde, face unusually serious.

"I just received a call from the dynasty Elders saying you called them asking how to deal with a newborn. Do you have anything to say, Naruto?" he interrogated, becoming angrier by the second.

"Hey, this isn't my fault! Orochimaru was in town a few nights ago ad bit Sasuke over there!" Iruka glanced at Sasuke for a brief second.

"Yes, I know."

"Then why are you getting mad with me?!"

"Because a) it's my job to raise newborns, and b) Orochimaru didn't bite Sasuke for the sake of hunting; there is a much bigger reason behind it all." Iruka turned towards Sasuke. "Orochimaru wanted something from you; a power that you hold that could make any vampire into the most powerful vampire to ever live." Sasuke narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"What do you mean 'power'? What's going on?" he asked.

"I can't even begin to explain it, it is so complicated. Actually, the situation is so potentially dangerous that the Sheytes don't believe I should be the one to handle it; they are sending someone over." Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes widen.

"They've never done that before….who are they sending over?" Naruto asked.

"They didn't give me a name. All the said was that she is from France and was syred by one of the Legendary Sanin." There was a very boyish grin on Naruto's face.

"A French girl, eh? You're so lucky, Sasuke!" Said boy simply grunted.

"Please, she'll probably be like all the other girls."

"Actually, I highly doubt she'll be all over you like all of the other girls."

"But if she is, and Sasuke doesn't want her, I'll give her the ole Naruto charm! She'll love me!" Sasuke grunted and hit him over the head.

"Dobe, you have Hinata, remember?"

"Don't even think about it, Naruto!" Iruka barked. "If she was syred by a Sanin, she'll be incredibly strong; think about how much it will hurt if she were to hit you on the head." Naruto merely shrugged.

"Who are the "Legendary Sanin"?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, there are only three of them: Orochimaru, Jiryah, and Tsunade. As you know, you were syred by Orochimaru. They are the oldest vampire still here. They were all syred by the same man, Sarutobi, the first good vampire; he was destroyed by Orochimaru. The three are extremely powerful, as are their descended vampires. Naruto, that explains why you are stronger than most vampires, even though you are only half vampire; your father was syred by Jiryah." Naruto nodded, not really listening.

"So, if what I can do is only about half of what my father could do, than that means…" his voice trailed off; his gaze slowly made its way towards Sasuke. Iruka seemed to understand.

"Sasuke will be practically unstoppable if brought up properly."

"So when is this girl supposed to be here anyway?" Sasuke asked nonchalantly. Iruka shook his head.

"They didn't say that either," he answered irritably.

"They don't say much of anything, do they?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"No, please, leave me alone!"

* * *

Sure, she was screaming (in Sasuke's sensitive ears, mind you) but he wasn't really paying much attention. His complete focus was on the alluring aroma coming from a spot on the young girl's neck (and he wasn't talking about her perfume). He had the girl pinned against the wall by her arms and he had a firm hold on her. Sasuke took another long whiff at the spot on her neck and practically sighed in temptation. He could feel his fangs growing larger in his mouth, which told him that soon (very soon) he would have to bite into this pretty girls neck. For the past three weeks Iruka had him on a strict diet of animals' blood—which was i_oka__y/i,_ but human blood was so much more….satisfying. Only once had he tasted another person's blood in those three weeks. It was a small slip-up in the first week and Naruto and Iruka had easily let it slip—but Iruka said if Sasuke ever did it again he would lock the boy up for an entire decade.

But he could keep this one a secret, right?

Sasuke could barely tell that his son to be snack was struggling to get free; his newfound vampire strength wasn't going to let that happen anytime soon. He slowly let his teeth and fangs lightly graze over the spot he would be feasting from, but not hard enough to break the skin. His actions had forced him to shove his hand over the girl's mouth because she had started to let out a blood-curdling scream. He slowly licked over the spot he was about to bit into, not unlike the night he himself was attacked by a vampire.

As he opened his mouth wide, he was forcefully yanked off of his victim and taken to the ground by two bodies. He already knew that it was Iruka and Naruto that came to stop him.

"Hinata! Get out of here, NOW!!" he heard from Naruto. So that's who he was about to drink from? Before he had the chance to break free, they had already used their incredible speed to take him back to his house. Naruto roughly shoved Sasuke into the nearest wall, leaving a slight dent. His blue eyes were giving Sasuke the deadliest glare he had ever seen from the boy.

"What the hell, Sasuke?! You almost bit Hinata!!"

"So?" Naruto started to growl in deep anger.

"Naruto, that's enough! Let him go," a feminine voice ordered. The blonde did as he was told; both boys turned towards the new voice. Naruto gasped.

"Sakura, is that you?!" he called joyfully. A girl their age walked into the room.


	3. Sakura

Sasuke couldn't help but stare.

She was about two inches shorter than him. She had a very petit form; her legs were long and slender, but well built with muscle. She had long, luscious pink hair that went all the way down her back, almost reaching her butt, and porcelain skin. The girl had a thin face with medium-high cheek bones, and very green orbs for eyes. She was wearing a mini denim skirt, torn at the ends, with a black halter top that ended at her navel. She was also wearing ballet flats on her feet.

Sasuke also noticed she was wearing an engagement ring.

Naruto ran over to her, spun her around a few times, brought her into a big hug, and kissed her on the cheek in a greeting sort of way. She giggled lightly.

"It's good to see you, too, Naruto!" she exclaimed. The girl walked over to Sasuke, looking him up and down. He gave her a slight glare for her actions. "So you're Sasuke?" He nodded. She turned her head back to Naruto. "Was this kid a trouble-maker before that snake-bastard got to him?" she asked in a tone that Sasuke couldn't identify. Naruto shook his head, 'no'.

"Snakes?"

"Orochimaru likes snakes," she answered as if it didn't really matter. She turned back towards Sasuke and had a curious look in her eyes. She snatched up his wristed, turned it over, and brought it to her nose. She sniffed it, like how a girl would smell a sample of perfume at a store. Sakura's face cringed and she stepped back a few steps, pinching her nose in disgust. She backed up a bit more, handing Naruto and Iruka some money. "Ice…now!" she ordered. The two immediately disappeared from sight, fulfilling her demand.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I'll be the one to bring you up to the proper life-style of a vampire," she said. Although he didn't show it, she sounded funny to him because she was still plugging her nose. "Do you have a bathroom in the place?" Sasuke nodded.

"Upstairs, last door on your right," he informed. She was gone in a flash. When he got up to the bathroom to see what she was doing, she was filling the tub with the coldest the water could get.

"What are you doing?" he asked in monotone.

"Getting your bed ready. Do you have the ice?" she called. Naruto and Sasuke then appeared in the bathroom also.

"Six bags; will that be enough?" Iruka questioned. Sakura nodded.

"Yes, now pour all of the ice into the tub."

"Will somebody please tell me what is going on?" Sakura acted as if Sasuke hadn't said anything.

"You two go and do whatever; you deserve it after taking care of this one for the past several weeks."

"I know he seems like a bastard, but he actually hold up a conversation once you get to know him," Naruto whispered to her. Sasuke heard it and tried to hit him on the head, but the blonde was already gone. She turned towards him and threw a towel his way.

"Get in the tub. Don't argue, just do it," she ordered. After she left Sasuke took off all of his cloths and put them on the toilet seat. As he stepped into the ice-water, he felt a chill of pleasure charge through his bones. He then got all the way into the large tub, letting the cold envelope his lean body. A few minutes later Sakura walked back in and closed the door behind her. He scowled at her, and his face would have gone red if it were not for the fact that he just didn't do that. Ever.

"Did I say you could come in?!" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, please, it's not like I can see you Manhood or anything," she mumbled. Even still, Sasuke shifted into a position where she wouldn't be able to see it no matter what. Sasuke let out an inaudible sigh.

"So why am I doing this again?" Sakura jumped p and sat on the counter, legs crossed.

"Well, since you are a newborn, we have to keep you body preserved until it is completely used to the transformation. I mean, since Naruto knows nothing of all of this, you're practically decaying," she said, wrinkling her nose again.

"What do you mean, 'decaying'?" he asked in monotone. Sakura sighed.

"Okay, so here's how it works: since you were bitten only about a month ago, the changes you undergo as a vampire really haven't started to take place yet. But with the first year as a vampire, your blood will slowly leave your body—because it doesn't make any more—and your body will start to decompose. To prevent that, though, you have to regularly sleep—well, not sleep—in a "freezer"," she explained, adding air quotes for emphases. "You see, when bitten by a vampire, there is this kind of chemical that is put into your body that is in the vampire venom. When put into cold temperatures for a period of time, the venom keeps the rest of the body young and limber, otherwise you will rot on the spot. I think that is about as simple as I can explain it," she finished. Sasuke nodded his head, understanding everything she had just told him.

"So what are you here for, exactly?" Honestly, he still didn't see why she had to be here.

"You need to be taught the proper way to live as a vampire while residing in a mortal community. As in, no biting people!" she accused sternly. "#2: You have to maintain the human speed and agility while in their presence. #3: don't tell anyone what you are; I think that one is pretty obvious. #4: If a human is in danger of another vampire that may or will hurt them, we are to help the mortal; in a way, we are still connected to them. Those are the four basic rules for all vampires. There are many more, but they apply to different caravans around the world." Sasuke nodded again. Then another question popped into his head.

"Can you tell me more about these Sanin people? Iruka didn't really elaborate much on the topic. All he said was that they were the oldest vampires left, syred by the same man, and that they are very powerful." Sakura seemed to be thinking about his question.

"Well, there isn't so much that I'm aloud to tell you everything I know. But I will tell you some stuff, though.

"The three Sanins; the oldest vampires still around today. Jiraiya, the one Naruto has a connection with, is the screwball of the group. From only meeting him twice, I can tell you he is such a pervert for a man syred at the age of fifty. I don't know if you've heard about the Icha-Icha Paradise book series, but he's the one who writes them as an underground author. But besides that, he is pretty intelligent. Plus, he's very nice. Tsunade, my syrer, is the female of the Sanin. The woman is a pure genius in the medical field and is physically the strongest of the three. You really don't want to get on her bad side. But over all of the years of working under her, I've come to learn that she can have a very soft heart. And then there is Orochimaru. I don't know all that much about him, to be honest. All I know is that he is considered and 'evil genius'. He knows about all of this strange immortality stuff and weird remedies that can do unimaginable things to a vampire. He's formed this group of vampires—kind of like a terrorist group—called the S.O.U.N.D. No one knows what it stands for. For the past couple hundred years, they have been doing some underground work for him, trying to take down Tsunade and the entire dynasty."

"So why did he come after me?"

"I have a theory, but I'm not saying anything yet until I'm sure I'm correct on it." Sakura jumped off of the sink counter she was sitting on and walked towards the door. "Holler if you need something," she said as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

As the minutes ticked by, Sasuke sank deeper into the ice and deeper into his thoughts. Why didn't the dynasty people trust Iruka and send over this strange girl to 'take care of him'? And what exactly was her theory on why Orochimaru wanted him?


	4. France

**Yeah! Another chapter!! Okay, so I think this is normal length for my usual writing...not sure. I quickly want to thank all of you for your support of my stories, you people rock! Also, if you have the time, go to my page and get involved in the poll--it deals with my upcoming drabble series for the Uchiha Household. Okay, time for the Desclaimer**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. THE DUDE WHO SITS BEHIND YOU IN YOUR MATH CLASS DOES, THOUGH!...okay, maybe not...**

**Enjoy the chapter! Go to the poll!**

* * *

Sasuke pulled away from the now-dead pig he was feeding off of. Taking the wet cloth Sakura had tossed to him, he wiped the blood from around his mouth and what had drizzled down his neck and off of his small fangs. Sakura had earlier told him that his fangs would only appear if he was feeding, felt threatened, or if he really wanted them to show—like to scare off something or someone. There were times when she would be telling him things about being a vampire that he felt like she was comparing him to some kind of animal. Over the past few months, he's noticed that Sakura most defiantly wasn't like any other girl he's ever met. She hasn't ogled over him at all; she is very serious; the girl almost never talks. Plus, there was something odd about her—like there was something "more than meets the eye", as the lovely over-used phrase would perfectly describe it. He knew there was something, no matter how he looked at it, but still, the whole thing intrigued him to the point where he wanted to know everything about her. He decided to start up a conversation with her.

"So how long have you been a vampire?" he asked. '_Probably twenty-some years,'_ he thought during her hesitation.

"Well, by the end of this coming august, it should be about…1100 years? Yeah, that seems about right…" she answered calmly. Sasuke went saucer-eyed. That long?! Then how old were the Sanin?! "Shocked much?" she said, making it sound more like a statement than a question. Quickly shaking himself out of the state of shock, he came up with another question.

"How long did it take for you to get used to the new life?"

"Well, actually—" She was then interrupted by her cell phone ringing. (Sasuke quickly noted that it was Take You Down by Chris Brown) and she answered it with a, "Talk to me…yeah…well, how long do we have?...okay, and how much—oh, alright, thanks!" she said cheerfully before she hung up and slipped it into her side pocket. Sakura glanced over and saw Sasuke eyeing her with curiosity. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough!" she said, giving him a smile. He could see so much excitement in her smile.

* * *

When they got back to Sasuke's house, Sakura turned to him. "Go upstairs and pack up all of you cloths, bathroom needs, ect; don't ask any questions, just do it." Sasuke, annoyed, did as he was told. He packed up all of his things: cloths, bathroom stuff, laptop, passport (he just had this feeling), and everything else that came to mind.

When he was trying to force his cloths into one big bag, Sakura walked into his room. "Okay, I'm going to ask: what's going on?" he asked bluntly. He never did like to beat around the bush—that was Naruto's thing.

"Simple: I'm going to be taking you to France for a little while. There's been some problems going on there and Tsunade needs me to help her out."

"Why am I going?" Not that he didn't want to go; he just needed to know these things.

"Because A) there are still some things that I need to teach you, B) Tsunade would like to speak with you in person about something, and C) it would be a good experience for you; you don't seem like the type to get much." Ignoring the comment, Sasuke asked her another question.

"What does Tsunade want to talk with me about?"

"I'll have to explain later. Our plane leaves tonight." After a pause, he spoke again.

"So…is it just us that's going?" he asked casually.

"No, Naruto is coming along, and he wanted to bring Hinata with him. He feels that taking her to France will make up for all the time he hasn't been able to spend with her lately. We'll be meeting with them at the airport."

"When are we leaving?" Sakura glanced at the clock and her eyes almost bulged out of her head.

"Be completely ready in five minutes!" she yelled, rushing out of the room.

* * *

"_Last call for flight 6A, last call for flight 6A." _

Calls for flights were heard everywhere as Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura made their way to their assigned gate. They walked up to the desk in front of the large gate door and Sakura handed the lady at the desk four passports. They were seated in first class. As they sat down, Hinata turned towards Sakura.

"Hey, Sakura, you're not paying for _all_ of this, are you?" the girl asked timidly. Sakura shook her head.

"Shizune, a friend of Tsunade's, is paying for the flight. I had offered to pay for it all, but she insisted on it," she answered.

* * *

**HALF WAY THROUGH THE FLIGHT…**

Sasuke leaned his forehead against the cold, glass window, peering out at the blue Atlantic waters below. Behind him, Naruto and Hinata had fallen asleep, with her head resting on his shoulder, his head leaning towards her own.

How Sasuke wished he could sleep again. Over the years, he found it was one of the only ways for him to relieve himself of any stress from school and fangirls. Now that that privilege was taken away from him, he would have to find another activity to go for.

Beside him, Sakura was engaged in an IM session. It was all typed out in French, so he couldn't follow it too well. Sure, he had taken three years of it in high school, but that didn't mean he could hold up a fluent conversation in the language, especially one that's using the 'slang' of the language.

What was becoming of his life? Would thing have turned out differently if he had refused to go to that Hyuga's party? He should be preparing for college—not going of to some European contr wit some girl he only recently met.

He should be human—not some blood-sucking creature.

He began to wonder if he could stay in Konoha; then he wondered if he would one day have to leave. He started to think about his parents and brother. Sure, his parents died a long time ago, but he still thought about them every once in a while. What would they think about him becoming a vampire? Would they still love him or would they shun him out of their lives.

His thought then turned to his brother, Itachi.

What was he doing right now?

Did he miss his little brother?

Probably not, considering the fact that he practically avoided Sasuke for the last few months that they lived under the same roof.

Sasuke sighed silently and lied back; he could always pretend to be sleeping.

* * *

"Everyone, welcome to Toulon, France!" Sakura exclaimed happily. They got their luggage and proceeded outside the airport.

"Are we going to rent a car?" Naruto asked.

"Don't need to," Sakura answered. As if on cue, a pick-up truck came along with two motorcycles in the back. The driver got out and lifted both bikes out and set them on the curb of the road. Sakura payed and thanked him then watched as he drove away.

"Okay, Naruto and Hinata, you guys take the red one and Sasuke and I will take the black one. Just follow me and you'll be fine!" she said while getting on the bike.

"You ride?" Sasuke asked, a little skeptically—she didn't really fit the biking type. Then again, she really didn't fit any kind of 'type'. Sakura sighed exasperatedly.

"Yes; no get on!" Reluctantly, Sasuke got on the back of the bike behind Sakura and wrapped her arms loosely around her petite waist. Though the moment she sped off, Sasuke quickly tightened his grip, having almost fallen off.

The group sped down the European streets, Sasuke and Sakura in the front and Naruto and Hinata trailing behind them.

Sasuke looked at everything they passed. There were so many buildings made up of ancient stone; the roads an unplanned mosaic. The city was filled with so much culture and life that it made Sasuke feel like he was in a whole different world. His parents had never taken him and Itachi out of the country, so this was a whole new experience for him. Although he was a jock at school, he was always interested in the European culture.

He was slightly distracted by Sakura's hair so close to his face, though—it smelled like lilacs—and then there was the fact that he was holding on to her waist. Ever so slightly, he ran his thumb over her stomach, trying not to make a whole lot of movement with it. He could tell that she had some decent abs.

What he didn't know was that Sakura could feel the movements of his thumb over his midsection. She was curious of his strange actions, but didn't bother questioning it.

* * *

They pulled up to a large, extravagant building. It had the feel of both a modern and ancient style to it. In a way, it almost reminded Sasuke of the Hagia Sofia, but much smaller, and it didn't have religious symbols around it. Sakura led them around the side of the building to the back, where a large gate being held by two towers greeted them, surrounding a large parking lot. A man poked his head out of one of the guard towers and gave Sakura an all-too-kind smile.

"Well, if it isn't the ugly hag!" he shouted in greeting from above. Sakura scowled at the black-haired man.

"Very funny, Sai, now let us in or I'll beat you up so bad you'll be in rehab for months!" she yelled back at him with a demanding tone. Sai gave her another one of those smiles and opened the gates.

"Make sure to introduce me to the guy latched onto you sometime!" he called in a friendly manner. Sakura quickly and accurately chucked a rock at him for it, getting him on the side of the head. The bikes were parked and the four of them headed up to the large cedar double doors. They opened automatically, showing them the inside of the castle-like building. The ceiling was designed so that the dome would look bigger than it really was, and it was painted as the constellations of the stars and planets, the stars being transparent so that they looked like they were really shinning because of the sunlight coming through them. The walls were made up of black marble. Hinata walked up to one of the walls and studied the stone.

"Why did they choose to make the walls out of marble instead of regular material?" she asked, turning back to Sakura.

"It lasts longer then the last kind of stuff they used. The building was redone about five years ago." Hinata nodded, understanding.

"Ah! Sakura, welcome back!" a woman called. She had short, choppy black hair that almost reached her shoulders and chocolate-brown eyes that gave off a hint of intelligence.

"Thank you Shizune; do you know where Lady Tsunade is?" The woman thought for a moment.

"She is in her office, dear," she answered. Shizune quickly led the group up three flights of stairs to another set of double doors, these being made of wood. Shizune knocked on the door.

"Enter." They opened the doors, revealing them to an oval-like room with paintings of the wall. In front of there was a long, lone desk stacked high with a mountain of papers. Behind the desk was a large, tinted window over-looking the better part of the city. From behind all of the papers, a tall woman stepped out. She appeared to be very young, most likely in her late twenties. She also had a large bust (that sounds so perverted!). She had long, blonde hair that was tied back into two pigtails at the base of her neck. The woman's eyes were a light brown. The moment her eyes landed on Sakura, she ran over and pulled the girl into a tight embrace. Sasuke could see the mother/daughter relationship between the two.

"It's so good to see you again, Sakura!"

"it's good to see you, too, Tsunade!" Sakura said while pulling away. Naruto's jaw dropped.

"YOU?! YOU'RE THE LEGENDARY SANIN?!" he exclaimed. The woman walked over and towered over the sun-kissed blonde, hands on her hips.

"You must be Naruto Uzamaki." Naruto backed away, looking sheepish. Tsunade then turned to Sasuke.

"And you are…?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," he answered levelly. The woman's eyes narrowed at him, then turned to Sakura.

"Did he just say—"f

"I-I'll explain later, Tsunade," Sakura interrupted, looking a little nervous. "And yes, he's a vampire; a newborn actually," she told her. Tsunade ran a hand through her bangs.

"Well, that makes things a little difficult," she mumbled. She suddenly walked over to her desk and rummaged through a drawer, pulling out a pair of keys and tossed them to Sakura. "I do want an explanation for things, Sakura," she said to the pink-haired girl. Sakura gave her a brief nod and led the others out of the building. They walked outside and got back on the bikes and left (Sakura giving Sai the finger when he called her an ugly hag). They then came to an open field where a small jet was waiting for them. They loaded the bikes and got onto the jet, the four of the in the back seats, away from the pilot.

"Where are we going, Sakura?" Hinata asked timidly.

"My place, in Paris," she answered.

"Oh great, the capitol of fashion-crazed woman," Sasuke mumbled.

"I heard that!"


	5. The Crib

A few hours later the group arrived in Paris. The jet flew over the city and into a large area of grassy fields and large estates. They landed into the giant, green backyard of a mansion.

"Sakura, this is your house?!" Naruto exclaimed, astonished. Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

"Kind of; there are a few other people that live here every once in a while when we aren't out traveling for the Hokage, Lady Tsunade," Sakura explained. They walked up to the back porch of the house, going through a tennis court, around a pool, and through a basketball court, until they were up to the porch. The porch was decked out with a removable roof, a table with chairs, and a Jacuzzi. Going through the porch, they walked into the house through the stain-glass back door, entering through a large room with a long, rectangular wooden table with a diamond chandelier hanging above the center of the table. The walls were painted off-white with a classic border along the top of the wall, going all the way around the room. Sasuke guessed this to be the dining room.

"We don't really _use _this room very much," she said to them. "It's just here for the off-chance that we have visitors who aren't vampires, it won't appear odd to them." She led them down a few more hallways, taking them to the Entrance Hall.

The entrance hall had pearl white walls. The spiral staircase was found here. There was another chandelier hanging right over the second pair of double front doors. (AN: With large houses built in the 1800's, Victorian Houses, I think, there would be the front doors that you would see in front of the house, then walking through those, there would be another set of doors. The second set of doors was the ones that led you to the rest of the house. The first set made like a very small, closed in patio type of thing. This is where I'm basing off the front of Sakura's mansion). They all walked up to the next level of the house where there was a long hallway with many doors. As he walked down the hall, a small, white dog came running up to them and started jumping on the new comers until Sakura picked him up and cradled him in her arms.

"Relax, Akamaru, they're good, see? Smell them!" She held the dog out with her arms so he was close enough to each person to smell them, but not close enough to harm them. Akamaru sniffed each guest and the barked happily, wagging his tail.

"You're right, he does listen to you!" Hinata let out a gasp of surprise and whipped around to find a man suddenly behind her. He had messy brown hair, dog-like eyes, and red triangles pointed down on both sides of his face. He grinned down at Hinata. "Well, who's this pretty little thing?" he asked. Naruto quickly stepped in between the man and a flushed Hinata.

"Back off, she's mine!" he growled.

"Whoa, chillax! I was only kidding around." Sakura sighed, becoming irritated.

"Everyone, this is Kiba. Kiba, this is Naruto Uzamaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Sasuke Uchiha," she introduced. Kiba narrowed his eyes at her, much like Tsunade had done.

"Uchiha?" Sakura gave him a look, silently telling him to shut it. He quickly changed his expression and changed the subject. "So, you got to go to the States, I hear?" he commented to Sakura. "How was it?"

"It seems as though the dynasty has wiped out every vampire league that ever lived there. There's hardly anything there anymore."

"Rumor has it that Orochimaru was in America, also," he said. The group was now walking further down the hall. "It's good you didn't run into him," Kiba told her, concerned for her. Sakura snorted in an unlady-like way.

"Are you kidding me? I would have loved to meet up with; give him a piece of my mind, that's what I'd do," she said, her voice lowering to a growl.

"Don't say that!" Hinata shouted. She ignored Naruto's attempts to quiet her. "I've heard terrible things about that Sanin: he's so powerful—what if he were to hurt you?" Sakura gave her a confident smile.

"Hinata, if you knew the full extent of my abilities, you would know that he hurting me would never happen." They stopped in front of a plain door. It was painted white. Sakura opened the door and led the group inside the room.

The room was pretty large—about the size of five average classrooms. The wall on their left was covered by 6 ceiling-high book shelves (the ceiling being fifteen feet high). The wall opposite that, on their right, held a large flat screen TV and double speakers stereo, stacks of CD's going along the same wall the door was on. The wall opposite the group was covered with a few hundred pictures. In the center of the room was a circular freezer that you could sleep in (which was what sakura considered her bed). The walls were painted a light pink and the carpet was a light tan. "Welcome to my room, people," Sakura said, leading them in. Kiba immediately planted himself on a leather couch next to the stereo.

"Kiba! Get your filthy ass off of my couch!" Sakura screamed. Kiba fell over onto the floor when Sakura threw an empty wasted basket at him.

"Where am I supposed to sit?!"

"Anywhere but the couch!" Kiba got up and walked out of the room, mumbling incoherent things in the process.

"Nice crib," Naruto said, mostly to himself.

"Naruto, Hinata, why don't you two go and explore the city? I need to speak with Sasuke."

* * *

After the couple left the room, Sasuke went and sat on the couch while Sakura pulled some books off of her bookshelves.

"Okay, talk: why does everyone keep giving me weird looks when they find out that I'm an Uchiha?" Sakura came over and sat down on the couch with three books in her hands.

"Well, Tsunade was shocked that you we're an Uchiha because no one told her your last name. She thought you were just another random person Orochimaru bit. Kiba did because he has heard rumors about the Uchiha's. I'll get to that in a minute. But right now, we've got a couple of problems on our hands. Okay, so you know that Orochimaru has these followers and that they are planning to attack the dynasty and reveal our secret community to the world. Orochimaru also wants you." There was a slight pause.

"Is he gay?" Sasuke asked.

"I don' really know, but that isn't the point! Okay, years ago, even before the Sanins, there lived a man named Madara. I can't really tell you much about his past, but he had caused a lot of trouble and was banished from the vampire community he was currently living in. Well, he was angry and wanted revenge, but never had the chance to get it. Ever since, the community has been very cautious about having another Uchiha become a vampire. And what makes the situation even more troublesome is the fact that you were syred by Orochimaru. They have a bad feeling about accepting you because you might have a … gift."

"Gift?" Now Sasuke was confused.

"Yes, with most vampires, they receive a type of ability when they are syred. Because of the family you come from, you will most likely have the Sharingan. It's like this kind of eye technique," she told him while opening one of the three books. On the page she opened to, there was a picture of a circle with three comma-like forms in the circle.

"So so that what the Sharingan looks like?" he asked. She nodded her head 'yes'. "What are those?" he asked, pointing to the shapes inside the circle.

"They're called tomoes. I still have yet to find out what they are."

"So is this what it looks like?" She nodded again.

"Basically; there are a few different ways it might look."

"So why can't the dynasty just go and destroy this Oreo person?"

"He's got too many subjects and followers for us to just taken down—quietly, that is. Plus, he has some abilities of his own, several that we are not too aware of yet," she explained. Sasuke nodded his head, taking everything in.

"So do you have any kind of vampire powers?" he asked suddenly, leaning back into the cushions of the couch. Sakura stood up to put one of the books back, placing the other two on a table, thinking about how to answer.

"Yeah, sort of. It's a little complicated." She walked to the door and motioned for Sasuke to follow. They walked down to a room in the basement. Sakura walked over to a table and picked up a needle that looked like it was once used for giving shots. Gazing upon it, Sasuke noticed that there was a green mixture in it.

"Hold out your arm," Sakura ordered. Sasuke eyes narrowed slightly at her.

"Why?" he asked slowly, suspiciously. She sighed loudly.

"Because I said so," she retorted. Sasuke held out his arm to her, defeated. Honestly, why did e listen to her? He never gave any other girl he met the time of day! He watched as she stuck the syringe into one of his veins where his arm bent, slowly and carefully injecting the liquid into his blood stream.

"What is this stuff, Sakura?" There was a tint of annoyance etched into his voice.

"It'll help keep our cover. You see, a skilled vampire can easily tell just by looking at a person if they are human or vampire. We currently have enemy forces snooping around the country, so we all have to be careful. This is going to help with hide our identity from people who don't know what we look like," she explained to him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"And for the people who _do_ know what we look like . . . ?" Sasuke looked at her questionably.

"Well—" she pulled out the shot "—we'll cross that road when we come to it."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, everybody! I was on vacation for a week in Tennessee, and I wasn't able to get much typing in then, and I've been busy with some other project lately, also.**

**_PLEASE READ!!_**

**I AM GOING TO POST MY TWONEW FANFICTIONS!! **

**Paranormal Existence: **_I am a medium. I see the dead, talk to spirits, and help them. My friends and I help other children with their paranormal powers and learn to control them, to make it easier to hide. They have to, and so do we, when there ar people out there who want to kill you._

**Living with the Uchihas: **_A drabble series based around the lives of the Uchiha household. Not many ideas so far, so requests are always welcome. Please send your ideas through PMing and when I write your idea, you will be given credit for the idea. Start thinking!_


	6. Grave robbers

Sasuke and Sakura were walking through the city, she giving him a personal tour. They had passed at least five different restaurants.

"So why can't we eat food, again?" Sasuke asked. Sakura sighed sharply; he had already asked this twice so far that day.

"Because it'll be like eating toxic dirt. You _could_ eat it, but it won't be any good." Soon, they came up to a public park in the middle of the area of the part of Paris that they were in. The two walked up to a large oak tree and sat down under it. Sakura lay back, putting her hands behind her head, crossing her ankles, closing her eyes. As she stretched back, her shirt came up a bit to sow some of her stomach. With the position she was in, Sasuke could make out almost every curve of her body. The skin on her stomach looked smooth, her pink hair silky.

Sasuke didn't even realize he was trying to imagine what these two areas would feel like under his finger tips.

Sasuke's wandering eyes moved from her legs to her torso to her hair, eyes, and then her slightly parted lips. He stared at them. _'They're probably really soft,'_ he thought to himself. Without even realizing it, he himself started to lean forward, parting his own lips only slightly, closer—

He quickly pulled back, suddenly aware of what he was about to do. _'What was I thinking?! I can't kiss her! Besides, she is wearing that engagement ring . . .'_ He sat forward, arms resting on his knees, looking out at the rest of the park.

* * *

Sakura peeked one eye open just enough so that she could gaze at the boy (man) sitting next to her. _'Was he really just about to . . . kiss me?'_ she wondered. Oh well, she didn't care. She knew her place and she wasn't going to fall for this guy. It wasn't that she didn't _want _to (which she most definitely _didn't_), but that she _couldn't_. She silently pulled her hands out from behind her head and stared at the diamond ring on her ring finger.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Sasuke asked almost nonchalantly. Sakura's eyes widened a little bit, taken aback by his question. How as it that he could startle her like that with such a simple question? She then sat up, still gazing at her ring.

"His name is Deidara. He's . . . one of us. I met him about seventeen years ago. But I haven't seen him in over two years, almost three."

"Why not?" Sakura shrugged

"I dunno; sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, waiting for him," she answered softly. Sasuke's eyebrows pulled together.

"He hasn't kept in contact with you?" Sakura shook her head.

"Not at all. I have no idea where he is or what he's doing."

* * *

"Naruto, you didn't have to get me anything!"

"But it looked so pretty on you, so I just _had_ to buy it for you!" the blonde replied. He bent down and kissed Hinata softly on the cheek, earning him a giggle. He then took her hand in his and they continued their journey throughout the city. After some more time walking, they came up upon a bridge that overlooked the park.

"Hey, look! It's Sasuke and Sakura!" Hinata said, pointing towards the pair under the tree. Naruto also spotted. Hinata suddenly gasped. "Oh my gosh, Naruto, he's gonna kiss her, he going to—never mind," she mumbled, watching Sasuke pull away. "Why didn't he kiss her?" she said aloud. Naruto shrugged.

"I think the real question is, 'why was he _going_ to kiss her?' I'm sort of glad that he didn't, though."

"What do you mean?" Naruto squeezed her hand slightly.

"Because I don't think she'll want a repeat of what happened last time. That ring on her finger? It says it all."

"What do you mean?" she repeated, but for a different reason. Naruto sighed as he watched Sasuke glance back at Sakura. He led Hinata off of the bridge, taking her to another part of town.

"It's a long story. I'll have to tell you some other time," he said, ending the topic.

* * *

"So you sleep in a freezer _every_ day?" Sasuke asked. The fact alone confused him because Sakura had said that after the first decade, a vampire only had to sleep in the 'freezers' only once or twice a week. They were walking down an empty street; it was night time and the two were much more alert now than they were earlier.

"Well, yeah, I mean, it's relaxing and—" She suddenly stopped, her sentence cut short and her feet not moving. Sasuke also stopped ad turned and looked at her oddly.

"What is it?" he asked; the look on her face was making him more anxious by the second. She held up her hand and took in a slow, deep breath through her nose, smelling the air.

"You smell that?" Sasuke sniffed the air also, but found nothing out of the ordinary. "I smell the undead," she mumbled.

"Sakura, we are right next to a _graveyard_," he said, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, but the stench shouldn't be this strong. There is something odd about it." She used her vampire speed to run throughout the graveyard, Sasuke right on her heels. After a few seconds she stopped—Sasuke stumbling a bit—in front of four tombstones in the dead center of the cemetery. The graves were empty.

"Grave-robbers?" Sasuke suggested.

"No; look carefully at the holes of the graves—how they were dug." Sakura walked around each individual grave, taking in their features as if it were a skeleton of a dinosaur. They were all dug in such a perfect manner; the sides were smooth and unusually even—not the work of any average grave robber. Sakura pulled out a pen and paper from her jean skirt pocket and wrote done the names and dates engraved on the tombstones.

"So do you know who did this?" Sakura shook her head, standing up and leading Sasuke back towards the life in the city.

"No, but I have a pretty good idea on who and why."

* * *

When they arrived back at Sakura's mansion, it was only a little less than two hours until midnight and the house was both dark and quiet.

"Kiba's out on business and Hinata and Naruto are most like sleeping," she said softly, as if her voice would wake them if it were any louder. It could wake Naruto, because of his sensitive hearing, bit considering how much of a deep sleeper he was, Sasuke highly doubted it. As Sakura turned on a couple of lights, a question popped into Sasuke's head.

"Is it just you and Kiba that live here?"

"No. There are other people who live here, but we are out and about so often doing things for Tsunade, that it is rare for all of us to be here at the same time. It would be great if you got the chance to meet them, though. I think you would get along okay with Seguitsu," she said. She sat down on the arm chair with her laptop on her lap, Sasuke sitting on the arm of the chair, peering over her shoulder, and typed in an unfamiliar address. What came up on the screen was a fed cloud with a white lining over a black background. Sakura typed in a few passwords and finally got completely into the strange website. "They really need a different way of secret communication," she mumbled to herself. She went to a few different pages, not seeing what she was looking for. "Ha! Found it!" she cried in a light whisper. Sasuke stared down at the screen over her shoulder, starting to pay more attention.

"What is it?" he asked, staring at the page.

"It's a page that shows what each team in Akatsuki is doing. Wait here, I gotta get some more paper." As sakura went upstairs, Sasuke shifted to where she was previously sitting and looked through the page. Not only did it show what each squad was doing, but who was who'd partner. The man that Sakura had been searching for was named Sasori. Red hair . . . potions master . . . partner's name . . .

"Deidara?"

"I guess I should explain myself, huh?" Sasuke jumped slightly; he hadn't even heard her come back down. He gazed at her; her face was blank.

"So you're engaged to an enemy vampire," he stated. It was meant to be a question, but it came out too harsh to be considered one.

"He wasn't always the enemy!" she shouted, not caring about waking the two sleeping upstairs. She took the laptop from Sasuke and starting copying down information.

"But he is _now!_" Sasuke retorted. Sakura remained silent, ignoring him. "Why do you still wait for him?" No answer. "Do you still love him?" he asked quietly. Sakura could tell he was trying to keep his anger down. She closed the laptop and sighed.

'_NO!! No, no, no . . . he isn't even Deidara anymore . . .'_

"There's packs of animal blood in the refrigerator if you need it." Sakura quickly went back to her room and Sasuke heard her close her door, with a little more force that necessary. He was starting to think that _maybe_ he had just crossed a fine line with Sakura.

* * *

**Okay, new chapter. I really have nothing to say.**


	7. Midnight Meetings

Sakura quickly stripped herself of all her clothing and stepped into her "freezer". The ice felt good against her skin. She sank deeper into the ice water, letting her mind drift. Her thoughts were immediately on her fiancé.

Where was he?

When he left, he had told her that he was going on a mission for the hokage and that he would be back in a year.

He's over a year late.

In the corners of her mind, Sakura knew he wasn't coming back. And in the darker corners of her mind, she knew why.

He was part of Akatsuki.

Who was she kidding, anyway? Definitely not Sasuke and he hadn't even known her as long as everyone else! Sakura had only learned of this feat about three months before meeting Sasuke. How long had the man she loved even been part of the enemy forces?

Sakura craned her head back and stared at the glittering ring on the nearby table, taunting her, showing her what she really was.

Stupid.

Stupid for believing in something that pretty much doesn't exist.

And that would be love.

But if it didn't exist, than what was that that she had felt for the blonde male? Maybe love did exist, but it all depended on _who_ you loved.

'_**Yes, because that makes so much sense'**_

'_Oh, shut up, you! You're the one who gets crazy over men in the first place!'_

'_**Oh yeah? And when was the last time that happened?'**_ her Inner challenged.

'_When we were back at Sasuke's house and we saw his top half naked while he was in the ice-filled tub. Remember what you said? You said, "_Take him! Take him now!"

' _**. . .oh yeah . . . he is gorgeous!'**_

Sakura sighed at her Inner's ways. There was a knock on her door. Sighing again, she got up and wrapped a black rob around her wet form and crossed the room to answer the door. When she opened it, she was faced with a nervous-looking Naruto.

"Naruto, it's late; I really don't think you should be—"

"I know, I know! Look, I really need to talk to you," he whispered. Sakura stepped aside to let him into her room. He immediately went over to sit to on the couch. Sakura closed the door and sat beside him, careful to keep her robe tight securely around her.

"Everything okay?" she asked slowly. Naruto was silent; he took a deep breath before answering.

"Sakura . . . wheat would you say if I told you I was thinking on becoming a full vampire?"

* * *

Hinata slowly opened her eyes to darkness, only to find Naruto's side of the bed empty. She let out a quiet sigh and sat up, ; she found herself wondering why Naruto was so distant lately. Feeling a little hungry, she got out of bed and headed downstairs. She hoped Sakura had real food in the kitchen—Hinata wasn't exactly in the mood for _blood_. When she walked into the kitchen she stopped dead in her tracks and stifled a gasp from fright.

She sawSasuke leaning against the edge of the counter with a bag on dark blood to his mouth with the contents slowly dripping down from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were closed in contentment. Hinata watched as he drained the small bag. She could see his fangs so clearly when he removed the now-empty bag and threw it away. He walked over to the sink, grabbing a wet towel and wiping the blood from his teeth and face, his back to her.

"I know you're back there, Hinata," he accused. Said girl silently gasped, then walked into the kitchen.

"Um, s-sorry, to, u-uh . . ." Sasuke shook his head, still not looking at her.

"It's fine; so why are you up so late?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I woke up a-and I got h-hungry," she stuttered timidly.

"Where's Naruto? He still sleeping?" Sasuke knew that if Hinata had gotten out of bed, her boyfriend would have noticed right away and come down to see what was wrong.

" . . . I'm not sure . . ." she whispered. Sasuke turned and looked at her with a questioning look. "I woke up and he wasn't around," she explained..

"Everything okay between the two of you?" Hinata shrugged.

"I don't know anymore; sometimes it feels like I'm losing him," she mumbled. Though it would have been in audible in human ears, Sasuke's hearing picked it up perfectly. Hinata then walked back out of the kitchen, headed back upstairs.

"I thought you were hungry!" Sasuke called after her.

"I'm not hungry anymore," she mumbled again. And Sasuke heard her again.

* * *

"Naruto, you're sure about all of this? I mean, this is BIG! Because once it's done, there's no going back," she said.

"That's the problem, I don't know which one to choose, why do you think I came to you?" he said, giving her a slight glare.

"Why do you want this again?" she asked tiredly (though only mentally; vampires never got physically tired).

"Because I can't have parts of both—it just doesn't work! I'm meeting with the man tomorrow, so I'll see what he says about all of this." Sakura nodded and watched him race out of her room and back into his.

Getting up, she discarded the robe after closing her door and stepped back into the icy water and forced all thoughts to leave her mind—she could feel a major migraine coming on.

* * *

After a minute, Hinata felt Naruto get back under the covers. "Where were you?" she aksed softly. Naruto jumped slightly—he didn't know that she was awake long enough to know that he was gone.

"I had to talk to Sakura about something," he replied, just as soft. He moved forward to get closer to her.

"Oh," she stated. She moved away from him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He sat up.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" he asked, worry clear in his voice. Hinata rolled over onto her back and looked up at him—he was propped up on an elbow.

"Why don't you tell me anything anymore, Naruto? Even if it is about vampire issues, I'm willing to listen." Naruto cupped her face in his hand.

"Hinata, once I've got everything figured out, I promise you, I will tell you everything. I just don't want you to get worried about anything, okay?" Hinata was silent for a moment.

"Okay. I trust you, Naruto." Naruto gave her his breathtaking smile he saved only for her.

Once he was lying back down, Hinata scooted back so that her back was pressed against Naruto's chest. Naruto, in response, wound his arm around her and pulled her close around the waist. He nuzzled his face in her long hair. She smelled of lavender—it was so intoxicating for the man. Before either of them knew it, they had both fallen asleep, dreaming together.

**Yep, another chapie! thankfully, this didn't take as long. Okay, so I think I'm going to start giving the title of the next chapter at the end of each chapter, so here it is:**

Next chapter: _The Elders: We'll Get Her Back! _


	8. Road Trip

Hinata slowly opened her eyes to bright sunlight pouring into the room. She turned her head back to see Naruto still sleeping in a deep sleep. She decided to give him a secret peck on the lips—only to be surprised when even in his sleep, he responded slightly.

Being careful not to wake him, Hinata removed his strong arms from their place around her waist. She got up and tiptoed downstairs, giving herself a silent pat on the back for successfully not waking the blonde male.

She walked into the kitchen to see Sakura at the kitchen table reading the local newspaper. A question then popped into the dark-haired girl's mind.

"Hey, Sakura, why is it that you have a dining room, but a table in here?" she asked. Sakura's gaze moved up to the ceiling in thought.

"For the table in here, I guess it makes it all feel a bit more comfortable." As she was speaking, Hinata went ahead and made herself some morning tea, sitting down at the table across from the pink-haired girl. "For the dining room, there are sometimes where we have guests from the hidden community that come and visit. The room is for when I have guests that live as . . . civilized . . . as I do," she explained. Hinata's head cocked to the side in confusion as she drank her tea.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's just say not every vampire has it straight from the bag. Majority prefer it all to be a bit more . . . fresh." Hinata caught onto the innuendo, and gave an involuntary shudder. An awkward silence followed for a few minutes before Sakura broke it.

"Hey, Hinata? I'm going to be out and about the city today—I've got a bunch of different stores today. Wanna come with me?" she asked. Hinata was taken aback by the offer.

"Oh, well, I-I don't have any money for stores here—"

"No problem; I have plenty of money."

"Um, okay. Besides, I kind of wanted to talk to you . . ."

"Hmm? What about?"

When Hinata was about to answer, Naruto walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Sakura, do you know how I can get to—" he stopped a beat when he noticed Hinata was also in the room. Sakura quickly stood up and gave Naruto a couple of papers. "Thanks," he said, making a beeline out of the room. Glancing to the side, Sakura noticed a hint of rejection on the dark-haired girl's face.

"I was thinking of leaving in an hour, is that okay with you?" Sakura asked, trying to ease the sudden aura in the kitchen. Hinata smiled at the pink haired vampire.

"Of course!"

As Sakura walked out of the kitchen a few minutes later, she frowned to herself. That smile that Hinata had given her earlier—

It was a fake smile.

* * *

An hour later, the two girls were walking out of the extravagant mansion (but not without Kiba giving both of them a slap on the butt) and climbed inside the black helicopter. As they stepped into the flying machine, Hinata gasped and almost dropped her purse in shock.

"Sakura, wha-? What is all of this?!"

Filling up almost the entire copter were large bags and boxes of the most elegant and stylish clothing that Hinata had ever seen in her life—it was almost like what the celebrities would wear on the red carpet, but much, much better.

"Oh, those? They're just a bunch of cloths I don't wear anymore—lost an interest in the style, I guess. The casual things are going to charity, but the elegant items are going to be sold to top retail stores." She motioned for Hinata into the front two seats. Sakura was going to be the pilot. Before she was about to start up the engine, the side door in the back burst open and Naruto and Sasuke hurled themselves into the helicopter, quickly making themselves comfortable on some of the boxes.

"Just in time, boys!" Sakura chimed. "And to think I was just about to leave without you! You guys may want to come up to the front while we take off—it never goes that smoothly."

They did as they were told. Naruto had his hand on Hinata's seat and the other holding her hand. Sasuke was leaning lazily on the side of Sakura's seat (you all know this pose!) Sakura started the engine and lifted off.

'_What is she talking about? She's doing fine,'_ Sasuke thought.

But then the copter lurched forward, going across a small runway, leaning dangerously far into a crouch. The sudden movement also caused Sasuke to be thrown forward. To catch himself from flying into the front window, his hand shot down and gripped the edge of Sakura's seat, brushing her thigh in the process. His position currently had him leaning partially over her, his head dipped over her right shoulder, almost in her neck.

The situation he was thrown into would have caused his face to go beat red and his heart to skip a few beats, and then go crazy—had he not been _dead_.

He quickly removed his hand from its place by her leg and leaned back, away from her. Instead he kneeled down, gripping his knee for support.

"Sorry," he mumbled, almost inaudible, trying o avoid any unnecessary eye contact.

As they rose higher, the flight indeed became much smoother.

"Beginning and end are rough, but the flight is perfectly still in between," Sakura muttered to herself.

"May I see what all you have back there, Sakura?" Hinata asked. Sakura nodded as Hinata and Naruto stepped into the back of the copter. Sasuke planted himself in the seat that Hinata had left open.

"So what's the high school like?" Sasuke looked at Sakura, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Konoha High School! What all is going on there now?" she asked again. Sasuke thought for a moment.

"They rebuilt the gymnasium a few summers back; they are now installing an AC, and they repainted everything a year before Naruto, Hinata and I started going there. Why?" Sakura shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was just wondering what all they've done to the place since I went there."

"You went to Konoha High School?!" Sasuke asked, surprised.

"Yeah, back in the early eighties. I was there for Tsunade, looking for any code-breaking vampires lurking in the area. At the time, only vamps around our age and younger were foolish enough to break the rules, so it only made sense for me to go in as a high school student, and other vamps going to younger schools, just in case." Sasuke nodded his head, staring out the front window. Then a question popped into his head.

"Aren't we supposed to be wearing those ear-thingies to talk to other people?" he asked.

"The outside of the helicopter is made with a sound-proof metal. All you'll hear are the light humming of the chopper blades."

After a while of silence, they landed at a small, suburban airway. As they stepped out of the flying machine the four were greeted by a large group of people. A man walked forward from the people to the party of four. He was tall and lean with silver-ish hair sticking out and everywhere. He wore a mask over his entire face except for his right eye, which was a coal-black color. His visible eye crinkled, indicating he was smiling.

"My, my, aren't you looking as "healthy" as ever, Sakura?" he said, a perverted glint coming into his eye. Sakura gave him a hard glare. "Now, now, no need to get angry at a _higher-up_!" he said cheerily.

"Higher-up or not, I can still hurt you," she said darkly, kicking him in the groin for good measure. He doubled over slightly, but ten quickly recovered his composure in a matter of seconds. His gaze moved to Sakura's sides at the two men beside her.

"And you two must be Sasuke and Naruto," he said, extending a hand to them. They both shook it. Sakura turned to them with a smile.

"Sasuke, Naruto, this is Kakashi Hatake. He's going to be taking the two of you to where you need to be at," she informed.

"Well, let's get going, boys!" Kakashi then led them to his dark blue Volvo and they drove away. Sakura turned to Hinata.

* * *

"I'm going to need your help getting everything out here, all lined up," she said while gesturing to all of the cloths in the helicopter. The entire process took then a little over ten minutes, which included opening the boxes. Hinata figured out that all of the other people waiting were the people there to buy clothes from Sakura.

In a good 45 minutes, the two girls were able to sell all of the more valuable articles. When all of the customers left, Sakura put all of the checks and money in a large, dark envelope with a special seal on it. She hid it in a small spot in the helicopter, and then the two girls took off.

As they were walking through the ancient streets, Hinata started up a conversation.

"So what style are you thinking of getting into, Sakura?" she asked.

"The gothic look. Not the weird piercings or the devil worshiping or anything, but I totally love the wicked clothing!" she said.

"So you aren't actually going all gothic, then?"

"Nope."

"So then you still believe in God?" Sakura's smile faded and her eyes turned downcast. "OH! I'm sorry, Sakura, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's alright; I'm not offended, or anything. I mean, I _did _believe in Him—or, I _do _. . . sort of. I just . . . if there is a God, and Heaven, I don't deserve it." The girls had started walking slower when the talk turned unpleasant. Hinata gave her a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" Sakura pursed her lips, trying to put her thoughts into words that would make sense.

"Perhaps, 'deserve' wasn't the right word. Or maybe it is; I guess it depends on what way you look at it. In one way, I don't deserve it because of what I am. Then in another way, on the off-chance that I somehow _do_ deserve it, I won't get any of it—I'll never go to Heaven." Seeing that the girl didn't understand, Sakura elaborated. "You see, Hinata, vampires, we're—well, we're demons. Monsters, even. Always have been, and always will be, no matter how you look at it. We drink blood, and taint the world with our cursed venom. Creatures like us; we don't deserve such a things as glorious as God, Heaven, or any of that good stuff. Now let's say that there was a vampire that did deserve it—even though that'll never happen—they would never get what humans do when they die. Because vampires cannot die. We are dead, but we still walk the earth, going through one never-ending day for all eternity."

"But I thought there was a way you could destroy a vampire for good? What happens to their soul then?" Sakura smiled sadly.

"There is no soul. Hinata, when someone is turned, well, their soul in a way, isn't them anymore. Through the course of transformation, it is turned into something else that is different then what it once was, sometimes it is lost forever. Then in the first several years as a vampire, the newborn—all they can think about is blood. And then for any vampire, strong emotions can also change them."

"You said that a newborn is crazy for blood—what about Sasuke? He doesn't seem any different than what he was when he was human," Hinata pointed out.

"That's because I very rarely let him out to hunt. I have to give him bags of blood. In the bags he receives, there is a vampire dedication that helps him deal with his thirst." Hinata nodded, understanding. The two came up to a store, one Hinata recognized from home. But this one was mostly about cloths.

"Hot Topic?" Sakura grinned.

"Yep!" Walking inside, Hinata gasped at the size of it.

They started looking at some black camis that had skulls on them.

"So how long have you and Naruto been going out?" Sakura asked suddenly.

"Next week will be our 2nd anniversary," Hinata stated with a blush. Sakura couldn't help but smile; at least Hinata knew that Naruto would always be by her side. Then she wouldn't be put in the situation that she was in.

**Yes, It's done!! I"m sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been lazy for a while, and I've also been busy with school work sigh. So, yeah.**

**As for what sakura meant by "the same situation", she was refereing to her topic of Dei-Dei issues.**


	9. Naruto's Request

_**Xx**Naruto's Request_**xX**

* * *

Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi walked through the same building that Sakura had taken them to before, the one where the Hokage resided. They quickly headed up to Tsunade's office. She was there at her desk, along with two older-looking people standing by the desk. The blonde woman stood up from her chair and walked around her stacks of papers, now standing next to the visitors.

"Boys, I'd like you to meet the Dynasty Elders." Had Sasuke not had the ability to see underneath the underneath, he would not have caught the small tone of disgust in the woman's voice when introducing the Elders. Kakashi suddenly bowed in their presence, so the two younger boys followed his action. They sat down in chairs across from Tsunade's desk. The Elders stepped forward.

"Which one of you is Sasuke Uchiha?" the female of the two asked. Sasuke lazily raised his hand. The male then spoke.

"We can't stay long, but we would like to ask that you join the Sheyte Dynasty. I think you'll find our way of life quite enjoyable. I believe Miss Haruno has informed you of us?" he inquired. Sasuke shook his head.

"No, not really." A few seconds passed before the older man turned to Tsunade, face painted with an expression of disbelief and hate.

"You dismembered her?! When?!" he shouted. The blonde woman stood up abruptly, glaring hard at the superiors.

"I think it's time for the two of you t o leave," she whispered through clenched teeth.

"We will leave when we feel ready to leave!" the elder woman barked.

Suddenly an old man—though not as old as the Elders—appeared behind Tsunade, placing his large hands firmly on her shoulders. He leaned his head down so that it was next to hers. He had long grey hair and red streaks going down his cheeks. He smiled all too kindly at the Elders.

"I think you two had better leave," he suggested, his calm voice posing a threat.

The Elders headed out the door, but the man turned back to the fuming Tsunade before he left.

"Mark my words, _Tsunade_; we _will_ get sakura back on our side. Even if we have to take her by force." And with that said, he walked out, slamming the door behind him. Sasuke glanced at the hokage and noticed her violently shaking. She barred her teeth.

"I. CAN'T. STAND. _THEM!!!_" she said quietly. The old man behind her was now in front of her, bending down slightly so that they were at eye level.

"Tsunade, you need to calm down. Prove to them that they can't order you around like this. Forget that little slip in the head. The key is to maintain self-control," he said.

The woman slowly took back control of her composure, and she fell back into her chair. She took a deep, her head in her hands.

"Sasuke, Naruto, this here is Jirayia, the third Sanin." Jirayia gave them all a friendly grin. He walked forward to shake each of their hands.

"Kakashi, right?" he asked, smirking. Said man nodded eagerly, as if he was meeting some huge celebrity.

"YES!!! Oh, yes!!! I simply love your Paradise series! Outstanding, sir!" he said.

Sasuke thought he was acting a bit too giddy to be considered a man.

"AH!!!! A fan! Thank, Kakashi, it's always good to know I've got a fan for my writing." The Sanin moved onto the next visitor.

"And you must be Sasuke Uchiha, correct?" Sasuke nodded. He laughed. "I almost figured that. You look a lot like one of your great ancestors, an old colleague of mine! Good to meet you." He moved on. "And you are . . . ?" Naruto shook his hand, his face unusually calm and collected, almost expectant.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzamaki." Jirayia gave him a sad smile.

"Is that so? Well, I never expected to meet the son of my only pupil."

"Yeah, look, uh, sir, I wanted to talk to you," Naruto said nervously.

"Well, go ahead and talk, boy!"

The room went deadly quiet. So quiet that, for once, Sasuke could almost _hear_ the dust particles in the air moving.

"I want you to turn me."

Sasuke stared at his best friend. _'Did he really just say that?'_ Naruto just asked to be part of the world that Sasuke was doomed to! Jirayia's face remained neutral.

"Now, why would you ask for such a thing?" Naruto took a deep breath.

"I've been a half-vampire for almost 19 years now. It's not exactly the most pleasant lifestyle to be bound with. It messes with how I live: at one moment, I'll be like everyone else, then the next, I'll have these thought going through my head that I should massacre the school for the blood. Iruka—the man who takes care of me—is a vampire, and said that vampires normally don't have voices in their head telling them to do things. I can't live both ways, and it's impossible to become human again. So being syred is the only option I have to some kind of peace. You syred my father, so I figured it would be best that you were the one to syre me, too." Everyone continued to stare at the young blonde.

Sasuke was shocked, to say the least. Naruto was making complete and total sense, but in the way that no one ever should.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "I realize that this decision is up to you, Jirayia, but I do ask that you wait before making it final. I'll inform you on my reasoning later. I believe that is all. The rest of you may leave," she said, standing up. Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi started out the door. Before Sasuke could walk out the door, Tsunade handed him a large, red envelope. "I need you to give this to Sakura," she whispered. "It's important." He nodded and continued his way out the door, following the other two.

* * *

Kakashi drove Sasuke and Naruto back to Sakura's helicopter. The boys waited there for about 20 minutes before the saw the girls walking their way, several bags in their hands. Once they came up, Naruto put his arms around Hinata and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Have fun?" he asked. Sakura flicked him o the forehead, causing him to cry out.

"Naruto, she just spent a day in the fashion capitol of the world; of COURSE she had a great time!" the vampiress explained while stepping into the Jet-Black flying machine. The others followed. Sakura and Hinata were buckled into the front seat while Sasuke and Naruto resumed the positions they were in on the way to the city.

Thought his time, Sasuke was being a bit more cautious and already had a grip on Sakura's seat. He was going to be prepared this time!

After they had gotten into the air, Naruto and Hinata once again went into the back and Sasuke took Hinata's empty seat.

"So how'd the meeting go with Tsunade?" Sakura asked.

"Hn. The Elders were there," he commented, watching for Sakura's reaction. To his surprise, she merely furrowed her thin eyebrows.

"That's odd. What did they want?" she asked casually.

"They said they wanted me in their dynasty." He paused. "They also said that they would get you back no matter what, whatever that means," he said. No the young girl's face was twisted with confusion.

"Okay . . . how can they get me 'back' when I was never with them in the first place?" she questioned, mostly to herself.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to be confused. _'What does she mean she was never on their side? By what I heard being said between the Council and Tsunade…'_

"Oh, I just remembered," he pulled out the envelope from his jacket. "Tsunade wanted me to give this to you. She said it was important." Sakura turned the jet to auto-pilot and tore open the large, red envelope. She pulled out the letter and began reading it. After a few seconds, Sasuke noticed her breathing become hitched and the letter fell from her hands onto her lap. Her eyes suddenly became the color of melted gold, mixed with a slight tinge of a glowing red in them. She pulled out of auto flight and zoomed back towards the mansion.

* * *

The moment they landed, Sakura bolted out into the large house and headed straight to her room, Sasuke on her tail the entire time. When Sasuke got to her closed door, he took a deep breath (calming purposes only, not nerves!) and knocked lightly on her door. He opened it slowly, walked in, and closed it behind him. Sakura was on her large couch, curled into a tight ball, eyes distant. Sasuke walked over and stood in front of her, face impassive.

"Everything okay?"

She didn't acknowledge him; instead, she handed him the red envelope. He pulled out the letter and read though it.

_Dear _Saki,

_Knowing you, you probably know the plans of Akatsuki. And you probably have several ways planed out on how to stop me. But I assure you, you won't be able to. Because if you _really loved_ me, you would keep your cute little nose out of this. Or else. Don't think I won't do anything? Just look through the pics I left for you._

_**Love you always,**_

_Dei_

Sasuke pulled out the pictures enclosed and it seemed as if time had stopped. There were pictures of innocent people torn apart—literally. Dislocated body parts were placed together in a weird and gross-looking statue. Then the pictures of the faces of the people while they were being tortured. There was also a picture of a beat-up Sai.

Sasuke put everything back in the package they came in, a little grossed out. He looked back at Sakura noticing that her eyes were back to their normal shade of green. His eyes held the tiniest bit of pity for her, but she saw it.

Sakura stood up, rubbing her temples.

"Don't tell the others . . . about any of this. They can't know." She started walking past him.

"You don't want them to know that you're struggling?" He caught her by the elbow. "You don't have to be brave all the itme," he whispered. She stared deep into his eyes.

'_They hold forever . . . just like Deidara's . . .'_

"Yes, I do."

Sakura walked out of the room, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

* * *

**I HAVE NO REASON FOR NOT UPDATING!!!!! I WAS BEING STUPID AND LAZY, FORGIVE ME!!!!!**

_NEXT CHAPTER: _A Loss

* * *


	10. A Loss

* * *

_10. A Loss_

* * *

"You're kidding, right?"

Sasuke pivoted around Naruto, going for a shot. After catching the ball when it swooshed through the hoop, he turned to the blonde.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" he asked. "I'd give anything to be human—to be normal!" Naruto caught the ball tossed to him and gave his best friend an odd look.

"Why?" Sasuke sighed.

"Because when you're a vampire, you can't do things like go to the beach because of dehydration, eat normal food, and—" He stopped, turning away.

"What?"

"Well . . . I once had this dream of . . . raising a family," he said in a quiet voice. "But that's not going to happen now."

"Then how am I here?" Naruto asked bluntly. Sasuke gave him a questioning look. Naruto explained. "My father was a vampire, remember?" Sasuke nodded, then reminded him of the fact that his mother was human, so _she_ is the reason Naruto exists.

"But still, Naruto, I really think you should remain being part human. And what about Hinata?" Sasuke hinted on.

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean,_ if you do become a full vampire, but wha about Hinata? You'll remain the same, but she'll grow up. And you can't just ask her to give up her mortality," Sasuke explained. "And Naruto, if you really love her, you won't go through with this."

"And then if I don't, what will you do?" When Sasuke didn't respond, Naruto continued. "Sasuke, we've been best friends since preschool. You're like a brother to me, and I want us to remain brothers for the rest of our lives. Even if that means I'll have to give up what little I have."

Sasuke stared at the man before him. What little he had? He has more than Sasuke can ever get! And on the top of that long list, was "LIFE". Sasuke opened his mouth to say this, but was interrupted.

"Naruto, Jiryiah's on the phone for you!" Sakura called from the house patio. The two gave each other a knowing glance, and then ran for the mansion doors.

When Sakura held the cordless phone to him, Naruto took it anxiously.

"Hello?" As Naruto talked to the old Sanin, Sasuke decided to wander around a bit. He ended up in the kitchen right when sakura was pulling out a bag of blood. Noticing his presence, she tossed him a bag, also. They drank their meal in silence, her finishing before him (so he wanted to savor the moment; sue him!). As her lowered the empty bag from his lips, he caught her staring at him.

"What?" he asked, annoyed. She giggled as she walked up to him, a wet cloth in her hand.

"You've got a little . . ."

She didn't bother to finish her words as she started to clean the blood that had drizzled from the corners of his mouth. As one hand was holding the cloth, the other hand would hold the opposite part of whatever she was cleaning. First, it cupped his jaw, then traveled to the side of his neck,, and then made its way to his collar bone. The whole time, her hand left a slightly burning trail of wherever in touched.

She smiled up at him.

"There!" she said, patting his chest. She stopped suddenly and stared at his chest, surprised at how firm it was. Sasuke smirked and leaned down so that his lips were at her ear, almost touching it.

"You can go a bit further, if you'd like," he whispered. Sakura backed away, giving him a glare.

"I'll take a rain check on that," she said sarcastically, pissed.

Sasuke laughed lightly at her reaction and walked out of the kitchen. As he walked to where Naruto was, Hinata quickly pulled him aside.

"Who's Naruto talking to?" she asked quietly, sounding suspicious. Sasuke shrugged; he knew Naruto wouldn't want her to know anything just yet.

"I know the two of you are over there," the blonde called, his phone call ended. Sasuke and Hinata walked into the room

"Who was that, Naruto?" she asked. Sasuke felt a tad bit sorry for her—she was being so left out. Naruto looked down at his feet.

"Hinata, I think there's something you should know . . ." Sasuke suddenly became very interested in a painting in another room. "Hinata, come here," he told her softly. She slowly walked over to where he was, becoming worried by the look on his face. When she was near him, he pulled her close enough so that he could kiss her.

The girl became confused; his kiss seemed . . . desperate.

He pulled back and led her over to some chairs. He held her hands in his own and stared deep into her eyes for a long moment, then at his feet.

"Look, Hinata, I know you hate not knowing things, so I'm going to tell you what's going on." He was silent for a moment. "Remember last week when Sasuke and I had to go and meet some people??" he asked. Hinata nodded. "Well, while we were there, we me someone, Jiryiah, the man who syred my father." The girl became stiff at the mention of the name.

"He didn't ask if he could syre you, did he?" she asked darkly. Naruto shook his head.

"No, but," he squeezed his her hands a little tighter, looking up at her, "I asked him if he could syre me."

Hinata's face fell.

"Wha-what?"

Her hands became limp in his own.

"Naruto, why would you . . . ?"

_Her_ hands fell away from Naruto's.

"Hinata, I know it wounds bad, but—" Hinata stood up and headed out of the room. Naruto got up and ran up to her. "Hinata, please—" he grabbed her arm "—just listen to me for a minute—"

"NO!"

Hinata yanked her arm out away from Naruto's grasp and backed away from him, slowly. "No, _you_ listen," she ordered quietly. "I-I can't do this anymo-more." She started to cry. "Ever since Sasuke was bitten, you've been different. You're quiet; distant; you keep secrets from me, Naruto . . . and, I can't take this anymore. I d-don't know what convinced you to decide to become a full vampire, but I . . . I just . . ."

She quickly ran out of the room.

Naruto was shocked. He didn't know what just happened, but one thing he knew for sure:

He just lost Hinata.

* * *

**Yeah, I know this is short. It sometimes happens in the best of stories, so I don't want anyone giving me any crap about it!**

**Next Chapter:** _Now You Know_


	11. Now You Know

* * *

_11. Now You Know_

* * *

"Everything okay, Hinata?" Said girl looked up to see Sakura walking towards her. Hinata stood up from the bed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She had to try and be strong.

"Sakura, can you arrange a flight for me—to America?" Hinata asked softly

"What? Why?! Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, eyes filled with worry and confusion. Hinata shook her head.

"I just can't stay here any longer; I want to go home." Sakura's eyes saddened.

"Okay. I think I can arrange a private jet for you. When do you want to leave?" Hinata took a deep breath.

"Tomorrow, if that's alright."

The next morning, Sakura and Hinata were facing Sasuke and Naruto.

"Well, I'll be back by the end of the week. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," she warned. Sasuke snorted.

"You treat us like were some little kids." Sakura rolled her eyes at his comment. Well, she _was_ a lot older than him.

"You ready, Hinata?" she asked. Said girl nodded while picking up her duffle bag and walking towards the jet. As she walked away, Naruto turned the other direction, back towards their car and headed off. Sakura watched the two, eyes saddening. "I wish I knew what happened between them," she mumbled. Sasuke shrugged, a bored look on his face.

"Who knows; it isn't really our business, anyway." Sakura wacked him in the arm for his uncaring-ness and followed Hinata.

The two girls sat in their large seats. Sakura was on her laptop and Hinata was staring blankly out the window. It was killing Sakura not knowing what had happened. She really thought Hinata was enjoying herself in Italy! And she had truly admired the love between her and Naruto. It reminded her that the world wasn't completely corrupt. They've been flying for nearly seven hours already, and Hinata hasn't said a word. It really had her worried.

"Hinata, did something happen between you and Naruto?" she asked, a little nervous. There was a pause.

". . . Yes," the girl whispered. It was another few moments before she continued. "He just isn't the same anymore. He doesn't talk to me as much, he is keeping things from me, and—and he asked that Jiryiah to turn him into a vampire." Sakura was taken aback. It shook her that there was another person who went through the same thing she did. Sakura knew exactly how Hinata felt.

"But you know that he isn't going through with it, right?" Sakura replied. Hinata turned towards her, eyes showing a little hope.

"He's not?"

"No. Jiryiah wouldn't allow it. And even still, if he did agree to it, Sasuke and I wouldn't let it happen." Hinata bent over and put her head in her hands, groaning.

"Oh, Sakura, what have I done?! I messed up everything! And now it's too late . . ." she whispered, despair in her voice. Sakura stood up suddenly.

"Maybe not." She quickly walked down the isle of the small jet and up to where the pilot was. After a few minutes, Hinata felt the aircraft tilt towards the right, making a sharp turn. A second later, Sakura came back and resumed her place in her seat. Hinata gave her a questioning look.

"Hinata, we're going back to France!"

Hinata stood at the mansion door, twiddling her fingers. '_I can't do this! How can I just walk in there and act like everything's okay? He'll never forgive me for what I did!'_her mind screamed. Sakura came up behind the nervous girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do you think he'll truly hate me, Sakura?" she asked. Sakura shook her head, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Not in a million years."

Taking another deep breath, Hinata opened the large doors and stepped inside the large abode, Sakura right behind her. They walked through the house, looking for either of the two boys. They started going up the stairs and onto the second floor. The girls found them heading down the hall, their backs to them.

"Naruto," Hinata whispered.

With their excelled hearing, both boys stopped and turned around to notice the two girls. Naruto's eyes widened upon seeing them.

"Hinata?"

Sasuke and Sakura watched the scene unfold before their eyes, as if it were the anticipated moment in a romance movie. Hinata ran towards the blonde and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around her neck. Naruto easily caught her in his arms, holding her in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry for getting angry at you," she mumbled into the crook of his neck.

"Don't be—you had every reason." Naruto pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. "Hinata, I'm not going to become a vampire—"

"I know—Sakura told me."

Sasuke quickly moved around the two, joining Sakura in walking back downstairs. It was best to leave Naruto and Hinata alone.

"So, what all happened in the fourteen-some hours I was gone?" Sakura asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"Besides Naruto being cooped up in his Emo Corner the entire time, nothing. Oh, and some guy called for you," he said, suddenly remembering.

"Who was it?" Sakuraasked. Very few people had her house number, so it was rare to receive a phone call.

"He didn't say; all he said was, 'the weasel is underground', whatever that means." Sakura raced out of the room, getting to the phone. She quickly searched through her 'recent calls' list. Sasuke came up behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Tracing the call . . . got it!" She dialed the number, waiting anxiously and impatiently for someone to answer. "Hey, it's me . . . sorry; I was busy . . . yeah, why? . . . So how close are you? I can pick you up . . . okay, don't worry, I'll be right there!"

She hung up the phone and dashed out of the house, Sasuke being dragged along.

"Sakura, what's going on?! Where are we going?!"

"I'll explain on the way! Now, come on!" she exclaimed. They raced outside as Sakura led them to the private jet.

"Why aren't we taking the helicopter?"

"Too slow."

They flew south; going in a different direction than Sakura usually took the group when they went out. An hour later they landed at a small suburban airport.

"Wait here," she instructed. Jumping out of the jet, she raced across the small runway and into the building beside it. A few minutes later, she came back out, helping a cloaked figure make their way across the runway. Once helping him inside, Sasuke realized that it was a man inside the cloak, based on the body shape. Sakura gave the man several thick blankets. When the man raised his head slightly, Sasuke had the odd feeling that he was staring at him.

"Sa—Sasuke?"

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat, recognizing the voice, even though it was raspy with sickness.

"Itachi?" he whispered. Itachi lowered his hood, revealing his face. Sasuke suppressed a gasp. His brother's face was marred with recent cuts and dark bruises. The area around his right eye was black and immensely swollen. The man managed a pained smile.

"Hey, kid; how's it been?"

* * *

**Yes!!!! I got this up!!! Well, Merry Kanishmas (Christmas), you guys!**

**NEXT CHAPTER: **_Family Reunion_


	12. Family Reunion

* * *

_12. Family Reunion_

* * *

"Itachi, lay down if you have to—whatever makes it easier, just take it easy until we get back to my place!" Sakura voice demanded from the front of the jet. Itachi clutched the blankets closer to his already cloaked body and laid back in one of the large seats, going unconscious immediately.

Sasuke stood over his brother, taking in his features. Was it really over a year ago that he last saw Itachi? It seemed like he ages a lot over time—but it may only seem that way with the cuts and bruises.

Sasuke began to wonder how Sakura knew Itachi. When had they met? Sasuke realized with a jot that there wasn't the sound of a heartbeat. Itachi was either dead (he sure looked like it) or was a vampire. All that blood . . .—

Blood! Vampires don't _have_blood! Do they? Sasuke didn't think so. He was told that they didn't.

So if there was blood, then his brother wasn't a vampire. And if he wasn't a vampire, then that would mean that he was—

'_No! Maybe it's some else's blood. Yeah, that has to be it!'_

He told himself this, but his brother seemed too pale. Even for a vampire.

And vampires don't go unconscious.

* * *

Soon enough the jet landed. Sakura lifted Itachi's limp body into her arms and rushed into the house. Sasuke followed after her immediately. She rushed him downstairs to a room in the basement that looked like a hospital room. She laid him down on a bed. This all took place in a matter of 1.003 seconds.

Sakura hurried around the room, turning things on, hooking Itachi up to strange machines, and so on. Sasuke watched in growing curiosity as she pulled out an opaque syringe from a small compartment of a desk and sped back over to his brother. She tore off the top half of his clothing, throwing the blankets, cloak, and his shirt carelessly to the floor. Sakura then plunged to large needle in his chest, injecting its contents into Itachi's heart.

To Sasuke's amazement, he could hear the sound of a quiet heartbeat, almost inaudible to even his own ears. With the first few minutes, the berating become louder, going to what Sasuke figured was about an average rate. He focused completely on the now steady heartbeat of his brother, he didn't even notice Sakura pulling him out of the room.

"Sasuke, come on," she urged, stealing his attention.

"What?"

She groaned in frustration and yanked him completely up to the main level of the mansion in less than a second. "Itachi needs to rest for a while, so I can't have you in there until he wakes up on his own," she reasoned.

"Sakura, he's my _brother_, and I haven't seen or heard a word from him in over a year. And now I find him close to death? How do _you_even know him?" the boy demanded, turning the tables. Sakura blinked, than an unreadable expression came upon her face.

"I'll explain later." And then she disappeared out the back door, mixing into the shadows of the night.

* * *

For three full days, Sasuke saw no sign of the pink-haired vampire. Anytime he attempted to check up on his brother's condition, he found the door sealed shut. It was too strong for him to break open (he would know, because he's tried). Naruto and Hinata were always out in the city; someone was always able to fly them out there to and from the mansion. That left Sasuke with almost nothing to do.

On the fourth day of Sakura's absence, Sasuke was outside shooting hoops with Naruto. On the very stroke of twelve, the two heard someone coming from the forest ¾ of a mile south—two people, if Sasuke was correct. Suddenly, they were yanked into the mansion by Kiba. They were in the dining hall, along with Hinata. A glance at the dog-lover's expression told Sasuke he was both very pissed and at least twice as scared. Two seconds later, two new people were in the room. One had bluish almost scale-like skin, and small, beady eyes. There was a large sward strapped onto his back. The other Sasuke recognized as Sasori.

These men were from Akatsuki.

The red-headed vampire stepped forward.

"Where's Sakura?" he demanded calmly. Kiba stepped up, standing in front of Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata.

"Not here. You can leave." The man who resembled a shark sat down in a chair behind him, propping his wrapped sward up against the table; he slouched, making himself comfortable.

"Nah, I think we will wait for her to get back," he said with a grin. Sasori glanced at the other cloaked male emotionlessly.

"Kisame, get up," I demanded in a lazy tone. Kisame stood, glaring slightly at his traveling partner. Kiba let out a small snarl.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, trying to contain himself.

"We need to speak to Sakura. Didn't we already make that clear?" Kisame answered. A sudden glint came into his small eyes. "But until she's here let's have some fun, shall we?" he picked up his sward, taking off the wrappings. In the middle were small carvings, making the weapon appear to have scales. "You see, this sward not only slices, it _shreds_!" He slowly started moving towards the group of four, forcing them to back up to the wall.

When Hinata moved, her scent was carried throughout the room. This caused Kisame to stop in his tracks. His eyes, along with Sasori's—who now had something in them—stared at the only pure human in the room. The girl paled under their thirsty gazes, and she began to shake in fear while the other three men tried blocking her from the view of the enemy.

"Sakura, where are you?" Kiba muttered under his breath. Kisame ignored Kiba and also the lazy orders from Sasori to back off (he had recovered already). He still made his way towards the girl, fangs forming in his grinning mouth. His eyes had turned crimson.

"Such a sweet smell. I wonder how it will taste . . ." he mumbled, as if in a trance. He continued stepping closer, but another figure entered the room, blocking Kisame's path. Said man stared at the person before him, his grin wider.

"Well, look who it is!" the shark man said.

* * *

**Oh, someone is here! Try and guess who it is!!!!!**

**Next chapter**_: 13. Special Guests _


	13. Special Guests

* * *

_13. Special Guests_

* * *

"Itachi, it's so good to see you again . . . alive," Sasori greeted, but kept his gaze on Kisame. "Put the sword away, Kisame. There will be no fighting here today." Said man reluctantly moved back to stand beside his partner as he placed the wraps back on his weapon.

"Well, fighting or no fighting, we are not leaving until we have a word with Pinky. Isn't that right, Sasori?" The red –headed man nodded his head.

"You can't say here; leave now, or else," Itachi warned, his voice turning cold. Sasuke almost shivered. The only other time he heard Itachi use that kind of tone was . . . never! Were these guys seriously as bad as people said they were?

Sasori stepped forward, facing Itachi with a glare. The Uchiha did not step down, nor did he seem to notice the change in the man's expression. In fact, he almost glared back.

"I don't believe you have a say in the matter, Itachi," he growled, dark emotion evident in his voice.

"No, but I do." The Akatsuki members turned slightly to see Sakura standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the frame, her arms crossed. Her bangs covered part of her turned face, concealing her eyes. What was shown of her face held little to no emotion, and what there was, Sasuke couldn't place it. He noticed her engagement ring glitter in the sunlight. "Let's take this outside, shall wee?" she whispered slowly. As she walked out the door, the intruders followed slowly.

Once outside, Kisame and Sasori were facing Sakura, who stood in front of the others, as if guarding them.

"I'm sure you know why we're here, Sakura?" Sasori asked. It was a statement, but came out as a question.

"Enlighten me." Her words held a trace of boredom.

"We are inviting you into a position into Akatsuki, since _someone_ failed to do as they were told," Kisame stated, glancing at Itachi. Sasuke's mind worked it out instantly.

His brother was a member of Akatsuki. _Was._ Sasuke couldn't see the girl's face, but he could imagine that she was glaring.

"I'm not joining Akatsuki. And before you even suggest the idea, Deidara does not have any influence over my decision. In case you have somehow forgotten, we are enemies. And also, I work for no one but Tsunade. That is it. And it's my job to get rid of you—I think we all know that by now after the incident last year. Listen, you can go ahead and try to get me on your side or try to stop me, but let me assure you of this: you will fail. In very sad way."

Sasori frowned. He had been expecting that. He thought about her small speech. Either she was incredibly brave, stubborn, or just plain stupid. He doubted it was the third. He knew from stories and past experiences that if in the unfortunate situation, she would be too stubborn to be eliminated. Her will power was unnatural, of that he was sure. She knew that after a few recent losses, the Akatsuki needed someone with her skills. Sasori wondered if she had a plan for this whole thing; she knew what was at stake if she angered people in an Akatsuki to a certain point.

"Have it your way, Haruno." He began to walk away with Kisame in tow. Before he had gotten far, he noticed Sakura had tossed something at him. The object in question glinted in the direct sunlight as it soared towards him. He caught it in his hand with ease and inspected it. Interesting.

It was her engagement ring.

Sasori looked up to see Sakura giving him a smirk. He had seen many expressions on her pretty face before, but his one was new.

"Tell Dei-bear that I'm ready for any challenge he comes at me with, whatever it may be." The man holding the fine ring shook his head while clicking his tongue. He for once voiced his true thoughts.

"So much power, Haruno, and you are wasting it as if it were some old gift wrap. That is disappointing." And then they were gone. Itachi glanced at Sakura, a weary look in his eyes.

"Are you sure that was a smart move—challenging them like that?" he asked. Sakura fully turned, looking the elder Uchiha in the eyes. Sasuke noted with shock that her once green eyes were now a sick, crimson color. Her smirk turned dark, forming a sinister smile.

"Positive."

In a flash Kiba had Sakura pinned face down, Itachi rushing over to help. Itachi turned her arms to her back and kneed them down with all of his body and strength he had in him. Kiba was digging his elbow into her lower back, using his legs to keep hers from moving. Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto watched in growing fear as Sakura thrashed against her restrainers repeatedly. She almost knocked Itachi off a few times had Kiba not grabbed him by the forearm and forced him back onto the girl. Sakura's eyes were wild, looking like a mix between cold-blooded murder and other things Sasuke wished to get out of his head. Her teeth were bared, fangs formed in her mouth. Kiba's head whipped around.

"Sasuke, in Sakura's room, there will be a table in the south end of the room. Open up the top right drawer, and there will be a steel, black box. Break it open and bring the shot out here. Hurry!!!" he ordered, his words rushed. Sasuke did as he was told, going as fast as he could. He was back out it two seconds flat. Itachi snatched the needle out of Sasuke's hand and plunged it into Sakura's neck. E

Everyone watched as the contents were injected into the vampire. Immediately her eyes turned back to their normal green color, and she ceased in her struggles, her body going limp under the two that had been holding her down. After a few moments, Itachi and Kiba moved away from Sakura, eyeing her as she slowly raised herself from the ground into a standing position.

"Sakura—"

She held up her hand, interrupting Kiba. Before anyone could stop her, she was gone from sight, back inside her room.

* * *

Later that day, Sasuke found himself standing outside of Sakura's door. He wanted to know why she was all crazy today, and where she's been (and to see if she was alright, but he would never admit that). The scenes from earlier had been playing themselves over and over in his head all day as he had tried to figure things out that confused him. He had asked Kiba what it was all about, but the vampire refused to answer him. When he went to his brother for answers, Itachi only said that it wasn't his duty to give out that information. And that had brought Sasuke to where he was now.

Gathering up some courage, Sasuke knocked lightly on the door. After a second or two, he heard a faint "come in"; he walked into the room, closing the door silently behind him. Sasuke's examined the bedroom—it was unusually dark (she once said she enjoyed having light shining through it), and it was slightly chilly, though not in the physical sense. Everything looked slightly more erie in her room with the still shadows painting the walls.

Once he spotted Sakura, he slowly walked up to her. Upon getting closer, Sasuke's eyes swept over her dreadful appearance. Her skin was paler than usual with specks of dirt covering it and her cltohs. Her cloths were also torn in some places and wrinkled. He could see dried up blood on her jeans and back tank. Her hair was tangled, also dirty, and seemed to have lost it's usual shine and luster. Sasuke then took in the position she was in. She had curled into a small human ball, sitting in the corner as far as her body would allow.

"Go away," she muttered, her voice surprisingly steady. Sasuke slowly knelt down and moved beside her, placing his on her shoulder—awkwardly. His touch seemed to hater Sakura's wall of defense as she turned towards her, leaning her head against his chest. She sounded as if she were crying, though no tears came out (because vampires can't cry). Sasuke was shocked, to say the least. Never the less, though, he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shaking form. After a moment of silence, Sasuke asked her the question burning in his mind all day.

"Where were you?" he asked softly.

Sakura turned again so that she was leaning her side against the wall, her hair covering half her face. Sasuke, while brushing the strands away, mirrored her position, keeping her hand in his larger one.

"I had to go out to clear my head of all the recent events. Everything that's been happening lately, it's . . . it is all just too overwhelming. While I was out hunting, I think I was attacked."

"You think?"

"Yeah . . . they were in these big cloaks, and it looked like they were wearing the symbol of the Elders. I can't remember . . . what they did to me, but all I remember was that when they were gone, my mind was just going 'must kill' over and over again. And . . . and that's what I did, Sasuke . . . I was killing people. For fun!" she spat, sounding disgusted with herself. "Then I . . . this voice in the back of my head just . . . downright demanded that I stop. So I did. It took a little while, but once I regained some control of myself, I came back. I was picking up bits and pieces of your conversation with Sasori and Kisame, and seeing them this . . . anger just burst inside of me. All of the human blood I had consumed at that moment, just took its affect on my body again. If Kiba and Itachi hadn't of stopped me—I don't want to think about it," she said quietly.

Sasuke stared at her. He knew that drinking human blood was dangerous, and the blood lust before drinking it was unbearable. That he knew from before he had met sakura, and it still came to him a little bit even now after training himself with Sakura. But for someone like Sakura to just loose all control . . .

He took Sakura into his arms and kissed the top of her head platonically.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Everything will be alright."

* * *

**yay! It's done! Hey, does anyone by chance know what's up with DeviantArt and the whole virus thing?**


	14. Getting Out

* * *

_14. Getting Out_

* * *

For the next few days, Sakura remained locked up in her room. She refused Kiba's pleas to come out, in fear that she would lose all control again. Every day, Sasuke would bring her a bag of animal's blood. And then he would sit beside her, neither talking, but being there just as some form of comfort.

One afternoon, Sakura came downstairs. Everyone watched, Itachi and Kiba at the ready. Sakura gave them a small, but true smile, waving them off that she was fine. Kiba gave off a bark-like laugh and engulfed his friend in a bear hug, squishing her to death.

"It's good to see you back to normal. In fact, I think we should all go out and have some fun, o get the stress off of our shoulders!" he exclaimed. "Who's up for some clubbing?"

For the rest of the afternoon and into night, the group was out having fun. Naruto and Hinata were sticking with each other, both of them revealing their wild side. Kiba was off with Sakura, as frieds, dancing like the crazy the people they tend to be when worries are forgotten. Sasuke and Itachi were finally getting to the chance to catch up.

Sort of.

Itachi wasn't able to tell Sasuke anything until they got back to the 'house'. So it was Sasuke who was doing most of the talking, and Itachi that listened.

"And that's pretty much everything that happened since you left," the younger concluded, sighing.

"Would you mind telling me again why you didn't kiss her?" Itachi whispered, pressing a matter Sasuke had tried to discretely skip over. Sasuke quickly glanced at the pink-haired girl across the room, hoping that she didn't hear anything over the pounding music. Feeling confident that she hadn't, he turned his head sharply and glared at his brother as if he were stupid.

"Because she was wearing that stupid ring! Do you not have any morals, Itachi?" Said man contemplated over this and then smirked.

"Nope."

"Figures."

"Besides, she isn't wearing the ring _now_, is she, Sasuke? Now's your chance," he urged. Sasuke brooded over his drink

"I don't know; now doesn't seem like the right time . . ."

"So then make it the right time." It was at that moment that Sakura and Kiba appeared beside the table, the firl pulling both men to their feet.

"Quit sitting here like two lumps and have some fun!" Itachi gave his brother a knowing glance. Sakura had led them to the middle of the crowd, trying to get Sasuke to dance. Apparently, Itachi already knew how and had snagged himself a female partner. Luckily it was a slow song, something easy.

"Sasuke—"

"I don't dance," he said quickly. Sakura stared at him suspiciously.

"You don't dance, or you don't know how to dance?" When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Okay. Sasuke, just put your hands on my my waist, and sway to the beat." She instructed. Sasuke did so, feeling slightly nervous. As Sakura started swaying, Sasuke began to follow her movements, feeling a bit more comfortable. "I don't see why you don't dance; you seem okay at it." Sasuke averted his eyes.

"Too many fangirls back home," he mumbled.

"That's a lame excuse," Sakura replied.

Then the song changed. It was one of a much faster beat, the fell of the music making the crowd go wild.

The song?

"Cyclone".

Sakura stepped back and began to move to the new rhythm. Sasuke watched as her eyes closed, and ther body rocked to the beat of te sexy song. Every curve of her body could be seen with the skin-tight jean shorts and white halter. With the crowd around him, the heat in the air, the darkening artmosphere, and the woman before him, Sasuke's opinion on dancing changed dramatically. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Sakura's hips, putting his lips at her ear.

"I think it is time for a new lesson," he whispered. Sakura turned so that they were facing the same direction, her back against his chest, still in his grasp, and moved a little faster. Her head tilted back to gaze at him, a smirk on her glowing face. Her hand came up and stroked the side of his face.

"Just follow your instincts—don't think about it."

Sasuke pulled her body fiercely against his, following her hips with his own. Sakura's hand weaved through Sasuke's black spikes. Their bodies were in sync with each other as they fell into their own world. They lowered down to the floor along with everyone else, and then went back up, grinding some more. And Sasuke wasn't thinking about it. Everything around him was making his mind fuzzy as his body took over. His hands trailed up and down Sakura's body; at moments when Sakura rubbed harder aginst him, his pride was temporarily lost and he groaned out. Further into the night, their actions became bolder. Like when Sakura put her hands deep into Sasuke's front pockets. Or when Sasuke left a trail of kisses from her shoulders to her jawline. And then betting a little upset when he couldn't linger on a certain spot on her neck because of the halter material. Sasuke's mind was reeling with forbidden thoughts when the music died, taking the clubers to another slow song. The two broke apart, going back to their table. When they were seated (and whens asuke had his composure back) he started conversation.

"Where'd you learn to dance like that?" he asked, secretly amazed at what she was doing to him. He and Sakura had to sit extremely close to each other—the music was too loud for them to sit at normal distance, even with their hearing abilities. The closeness was driving him to insanity

"Working for Tsunade, I was required to go out information gathering at local night clubs in different countries. And this has been going on for at least three years," she said over the deafening music. A sexy smirk came to her lips. "Why, is it a turn-on?" she asked teasingly. Sasuke lowered his head down to her level, letting his breath fan her face. With half-liddd eyes gazing deeply into her green ones, he answered:

"Most definitely."

Slowly, their faces became closer to the point where Sasuke could practically feel her lips against his. . .

"Hey, Sakura!"

The two pulled away sharply and turned to the shouting Kiba. "Hey, we should probably get going—the other's said that they're getting tired." Sakura nodded standing up. As she walked off, Sasuke sat there a moment staring after her. And suddenly everything that had happened came rushing into his head. It started to get a little hot down south at the memeory of her body against his own, rubbing him up. Standing up, he followed the others, hoping the night air would clear his head.

On the way out of the club, something—or someone—caught the attention of Sakura and Kiba. Walking out of the shadows between to tall buildings was aman who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He had white hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and a pair of large, round glasses. Sakura stepped forward, her and Kiba guarding the others from the newcomer.

"Good evening, Kabuto."

* * *

**Dude, it is at least 30 below with windchill. I'm fricken cold!!!**

**Honestly, I had fun writing this chapter!!!**

**LOTS OF LOVE!!!!!!**

**Next chapter:**_ 15. Meeting on the Street_


	15. Meeting On the Street

* * *

_15. Meeting On The Street_

* * *

Sasuke stared at the new person, confusion evident on his face.

Kabuto?

Searching through his memory, Sasuke never recalled hearing the name.

"Sasuke, you don't know me? I figured Sakura would have at least mentioned me . . ." Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't like the way he said the boy's name.

"What are you doing here, Kabuto?" Kiba questioned. Sasuke noted that he was uncharacteristically self-controlled. Kabuto smiled.

"Relaxing—Orochimaru allowed me to go and have some time for myself for a little while. So I decided to come to the city with the best clubs in all of Europe," he explained. Sasuke immediately tensed. This guy worked with Orochimaru. He glanced at Sakura, wondering what she was going to do to get rid of this guy.

"Fine. Just don't hunt in this territory—unless you're willing to go vegetarian, that is," she said calmly. The others stared at her like she was crazy. "Come on, you guys. It's time to leave."

She turned and started walking down the street, the others quickly following behind her.

"I hope you had a pleasant evening, Sasuke, Sakura," Kabuto called after them, a tone in his voice of secrets.

'_He saw us in the club!'_ Sasuke's mind screamed.

Once they were out of sight, Naruto ran up and turned on Sakura, his eyes furious.

"Sakura, why'd you do that?!" he yelled, his voice echoing off of the buildings around them. Kiba winced at the volume.

"Man, will you shut up?! You're giving me a semi-migraine. Here's the deal: Sakura and I can't take him away because he hasn't done anything wrong yet," Kiba informed.

"_Yet,"_ Naruto emphasized. Sasuke nodded his head in agreement.

"He's right, Sakura. Correct me if I'm wrong—and I know I'm not—but that guy works for Orochimaru, right?" Sasuke asked. Sakura chuckled darkly.

"Sasuke, he is Orochimaru's right-hand man. They hardly separate. Of course he could be arrested for who he chooses to run around with, but Kiba and I are not given that sort of power. We could try and destroy him—but that would raise unnecessary chaos and stir up questions, and our entire community could be discovered. And that would be bad," she said. Sasuke slwly digested her words, understanding the logic behind them. Just because she wanted to get the job done and over with—and could, for that matter—there were other factors to consider. For insistence, the lives of other vampires.

* * *

'_If someone were to do something that would expose our existence, a special group of vampires would quickly, quietly, and efficiently end _their_ existence.'_

Sasuke remember Sakura's words from earlier. The group was currently flying back to the mansion. Hinata, Naruto, and Itachi had all fallen to sleep in the back of the jet. Sasuke was sitting near the front, catching tidbits of the hushed conversation between Sakura and Kiba fro, the front seat.

"Sakura, he could be killing people at the club this very moment, and we chose to leave!" Kiba whispered.

"Asuma's currently at the club for the night watching things until everyone is gone and safely in their homes. I informed him of Kabuto before we left,: she answered just as quietly.

"You knew? You knew that he was there?!"

"Yes; I can track that guy's scent from anywhere. Plus, I've already got Kakashi and Genma looking around for any sign of Orochimaru or his Sound vamps," she said.

"Are you sure you can handle anything they might find? Orochimaru's been up to some nasty stuff lately." A pause.

"I'm not sure."

* * *

When they returned to the mansion, everyone went to their own rooms. When Sasuke entered his own, he got into his ice box, sinking into the icy pleasure surrounding his body. Just like every night he did this, his thoughts drifted.

So Orochimaru was nearby, eh? Sasuke knew that the guy was trouble, but the unreadable look in Sakura and Kiba's eyes made him wonder. Then he remembered something.

"_He wanted something from you; a power that you hold that can turn any vampire into the most powerful vampire ever."_

Iruka's words from Sasuke's first day as a vampire came rushing back to him. Then he recalled the things Sakura had told him. Stuff about how many vampires receives a "gift" when they are reborn. He thought about Sharingan; he was supposed to have it, right? Well, when does he get it? Well, if he didn't have it, then Orochimaru won't bother him. And then Sakura could relax a bit.

His thoughts on the topic froze as she popped into his head. And very slowly, moments from the club came back to him. The dancing, the heat of the room, the feel of her body against his own, her skin—

Oh, great Hana, her _skin._

So smooth and the way it felt under his lips . . . did her lips feel that good, too?

No, no they probably felt a whole lot better.

* * *

Sakura stood in the kitchen, finishing her bag of blood, when Itachi walked up to her.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" she scolded. The man shrugged, leaning against the wall. Sakrura noticed how tense his body was. "what's up?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Sakura, I think I'm ready."

Sakura faced him completely, eyes serious. "You think you're ready, or you _know_ you are?" Itachi took a deep breath.

"I know I am. Let's do it tomorrow."

* * *

**Okay, so I know you've all been waiating very patiently for this, so here it is! And I am almost done writing the story (just have to type it) and I will start on the next Part on the series!**

Next chapter!_ 16. Syred; a curse_


	16. Syred A Curse

* * *

_16. Syred; A Curse_

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened. In a matter of less than 3 seconds, she had grabbed Itachi by the arm and taken him far enough from the mansion so that those residing there wouldn't hear the words passed between the two. They were in a small, dug-out area underground. Sakura paced for a moment, running her hands roughly through her pink tresses. After a few seconds, she stopped pacing, swerved around, and glared at Itachi.

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow?! Itachi, are you _insane_?!" The man looked at her evenly.

"Sakura, there is no better time than no. _Believe_ me; I've thought this over a lot, maybe more that I should have. But Sakura, if we don't do this now, it'll be too late." Sakura took a deep breath, frustrated.

"Ugh!" She rubbed her temples furiously. "Itachi, you should have given me another day or two of warning. I—I don't think I can do this!"

"And why is that? You've been able to do this stuff before!" he said fiercely, waving his arms in the air. Sakura took a few breathers and started pacing the length of the small space again. She did her best to keep her gaze on the ground beneath her.

"I know, but . . ." Sakura shuddered, her voice dropping down to a low whisper. "Back then, Itachi, I had _control_. You've seen what's been happening to me lately. And if I just do it tomorrow—if I start it, I . . . I don't think I'll be able to stop myself."

"Sakura, if I didn't think you could do this, I would be having this conversation with someone else. But I trust you—believe in your strength. And that's a lot, coming from a guy like me." Sakura roller her eyes.

"Yeah, I know—I've met your brother, and you two could be twins," she muttered. She kept staring at the man in front of her warily, still a bit stunned at what he was asking her—or more like, when he was asking her to do this. How could he even possibly think she could do something so crazy at times like these? After all she's been through lately—there was just no way! She felt like a student that was informed they were taking a review test that day over everything in all of World History, and had walked into class unprepared. And Itachi was quizzing her on a topic she knew she had already failed.

Sakura's head was getting that spinney feeling, again. She would've fainted from stress overload had she still been human.

"What about Sasuke? What's his opinion on all of this?" she asked, mentally exhausted. There was a slight pause as she noticed Itachi fumbling with his hands.

"He has no opinion. He doesn't know."

Sakura's anger began to rise.

"He _should_ know. He's your _brother_, Itachi! Does that mean nothing to you? Does he mean nothing to you?!" she yelled.

"I'm doing this _for him!!!_ I thought someone as observant as yourself would have seen that from a mile away!" After a moment, he became calm once more. "I wasn't there for him before. I left him when he was old enough to live on his own. Do you know how terrible that makes me? I wasn't there before—but this time, I will be." His face showed determination. Sakura sighed, feeling strangely defeated.

"Fine. Tomorrow it is, then."

* * *

The next day, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata walked downstairs to an odd sight.

In a large room, Itachi was sitting in a large, wooden chair. Sakura and Kiba were standing next to him. Kiba was taking viles that seemed to be filled with the same substance and was injecting it into different places on Itachi's body—his arm, neck, ect. Sakura was pacing, taking deep breaths. When Kiba finished, he stretched a bit, flexing his muscles.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked. Neither Sakura nor his brother turned or looked at him.

"Watch and you'll see," Sakura answered quietly. "Kiba!"

Said man walked over to the tense woman, placing her hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Naruto, restrain Sasuke," Sakura ordered. The blonde gave her an odd look.

"Why?"

Sakura, instead of answering, took Itachi's wrist in her hands. She gazed at him, and when he gave her a firm nod, she bent down and bit into the wrist, sucking the blood from it.

"NO!! ITACHI!!!!" Naruto did everything to hold Sasuke back, Hinata behind them, and they watched the scene play out before them, horrified. Sakura bit Ino Itachi once more, his blood covering her lips and part of her left cheek. Her eyes began to turn a sick red and Kiba moved his hands down a bit, pulling her away roughly at the arms.

A scream of pure agony and torture erupted from Itachi's lips, filling the house.

* * *

Naruto stared in horror at what Sakura had done, his mind barely working. Sakura had given Itachi two full bites and was being dragged away by Kiba while a woman with dark gray hair rushed into the room and carried Itachi out, who had gone unconscious. Sasuke tried to follow, but had become weak and was being held back by his friend. Naruto stared at Sakura, who was whipping the blood furiously from her lips and face, drinking bags of animal blood. The syring was consensual, of this Naruto was sure. And b the look on Hinata's face, she knew it as well. But Sasuke, still reeling in shock, had yet to realize it.

"Itachi!" Sasuke still struggled to help his brother, and Naruto dragged him to the backyard where Sakura and Kiba had gone. Once outside, Sasuke stopped struggling and fell limp onto the grass. Naruto turned to Hinata.

"Are you okay?" he asked. The girl nodded shakily.

"So . . . is Itachi going to become a vampire now?"

"Yes."

Three pairs of eyes looked up to see sakura walking towards them. Face blank, eyes tight at the corners. "He will become a vampire—" She stopped dead when Sasuke glared hard at her.

"You." He stood, a fire in his eyes. "You . . . you did this to him. _YOU!!!_"

He lunged forwards, his fangs already formed. His body arched perfectly in the air and he slammed in to Sakura, sending to two vampires soaring across the field. When they landed, Sasuke had the girl pinned down by straddling her at the stomach. One hand was strangling her neck; the other was going to a swift blow to the skull. When his fist collided with her head, a resounding crack was heard for miles. A sharp pain went through Sakura and her vision started to blur before going back to normal, the intense throbbing gone. As Sasuke tried for another blow, sakura was about to defend herself, but something caught her off guard: black marks. Ones that were slowly making their way across Sasuke's skin like snakes.

* * *

**Itachi's a vampire now!!!! YA! And.....Sasuke went all evil.......**

**Next chatper!: **_17. Just A Little Truth_

SEARCH THE SONG "WE WILL NOT GO DOWN" ON YOUTUBE!!!


	17. Just a Little Truth

* * *

_17. Just a Little Truth_

* * *

Sakura watched in rising horror as the black marks continued to make their way across Sasuke's body. The whites of his eyes turned to a strange gray color, while his onyx irises turned crimson with a golden tint to them. His face was only inches from Sakura's as he glared down at her, teeth bared. There was a new type of venom Sakura had never seen before dripping from the tips of Sasuke's fangs. The smell was horrible.

"_Why?! Why did you turn him?!"_ he demanded.

'_His voice isn't even remotely human anymore. It almost reminds me of—'_

Sakura silently gasped, remembering the dreadful fate of her old friend. She shakily raised a hand, stroking her fingers along Sasuke's cheek bones.

"Sasuke . . . if you can hear me, just . . . Just calm down, okay? Please," she whispered firmly. Miraculously, the marks receded. The boy/man above her blinked a few times, his body suddenly sagging against hers in exhaustion, as he gazed at the horror-struck Sakura.

"What's going on?" he mumbled. After a moment, the confusion in his eyes vanished, remembering. "Why did you turn him?" he demanded, though his voice was quiet.

"Sasuke, don't worry; Itachi and I will explain everything when he wakes," Sakura replied, trying to sound reassuring. Sasuke slowly got up and made his way towards the trees at the end of Sakura's property, going off to hunt. Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata watched him go, none of them sure how he was going to behave for the new period of time.

For six days, the elder Uchiha remained unconscious in the bedroom he was placed in. The woman that had helped Sakura and Kiba had left, going back to do business under Tsunade. This left everyone in an awkward silence most of the time. And again, Sakura would not allow Sasuke to enter the room in which Itachi was completing the change from human to vampire. He didn't understand why, but he didn't question it, nor did the others.

One night, while Kiba was out in the town and Naruto and Hinata were peacefully sleeping, Sakura walked outside to the back patio to find Sasuke. He was sitting on the steps, head in his hands. Sakura stared at his arched back for a few moments, trying to decipher what mood he was in or what might be going through his head based off of his behavior of the past week. He hadn't showed too much emotion since he witnessed her biting into his brother's wrist, changing and ruining his life forever. But she wondered if he had the slightest clue that the whole thing was Itachi's idea, that the syre was consensual.

And then there was _it. _The curse mark. Sakura could easily recognize which one Orochimaru had given him when he found Sasuke on the night of that party so many months ago.

Sasuke had received a Heaven Mark.

Sakura's mind recalled information about that type of curse mark. While the Earth Mark made changes in the body, such as increasing size or strength, the Heaven Mark changed things in the mind. One of the things it changed within the mind was the level of morals a person had. Sakura could remember what had happened to Juugo, one of her dearest friends, when his Heaven Mark had been awakened. He had acquired spontaneous fits of murderous rage, sometimes set off by anger of lack of blood. She remembered when she last saw him, how the fight had ended. He had gone crazy and tried to destroy her, and almost did. The only thing that stopped him was the army of vamps that dragged Sakura out of there before he could succeed. Had they not been there, Sakura would surely be dead. Not because he was that much stronger than her and she wouldn't have been able to defeat him, but because she wouldn't have fought at all.

She cared too much to be able to hurt him.

And that was what had started Sakura's quest to find Orochimaru and destroy him for it.

Revenge.

But as the woman stared at the back of the one Orochimaru wanted most, her goals began to shift. Perhaps she could kill Orochimaru and get her revenge, but there were other ways. Other ways of getting even with him.

She walked forward until she was standing beside Sasuke.

"What's up with you?" she asked dully, though she probably already had a clue as to what. Sasuke didn't respond, and Sakura got the message that his silence portrayed, and began to walk away back into the house. She did stop when Sasuke did finally speak.

"He's got _so_ much explaining to do," he muttered. Sakura turned and sat down next to him. "Where he has been all this time and why; why he broke all kinds of contact with me when I turned eighteen; why he suddenly has to become a vampire and throw his entire life away—"

"I can give you a small piece on that one."

Sasuke's head came up, staring at Sakura.

"Long story short, he wanted me to turn him so he could protect you," she stated bluntly.

"And you agreed to this?" Sasuke asked, dumbfounded almost. Sakura shrugged.

"He said he'd get someone stupid to do it if I didn't do it."

"He wanted . . . to protect me . . ." Sakura sighed, running a hand through her long hair.

"Yeah; mainly because Orochimaru and a few other moronic sadists are still roaming around. To him, I guess you'll always be his little brother. He only wanted to you stay safe." Sasuke stared at the ground, processing this new information.

So . . . Itachi was just trying to protect him? It didn't make any sense—Orochimaru wasn't _that_ dangerous, was he? There were so many questions that his brother left unanswered, but Sasuke knew that he would have to wait until Itachi would be "reborn".

But in all of those questions that were spinning around in his head, there was one that kept repeating itself every few seconds.

What did Orochimaru _really_ want with him?

He vaguely recalled Iruka saying something about the Sannin wanting some sort of power that Sasuke had. But there had to be more to it than that. _Why_ did he want the power?

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked sharply.

Sasuke realized he had started to rub the spot on his neck where Orochimaru had bitten him. He removed his hand, shrugging.

"Didn't even know I was doing it."

The two sat in silence once again.

"Sasuke?"

" . . .yeah?" Sakura took a deep breath.

"I just want you to know, that no matter what happens, everything will be alright," she whispered. Sasuke shot her a questioning look. But she wasn't meeting his gaze. He found the stiffness in her shoulders . . . the way her face suddenly held little to no emotion.

But for what was there, he saw a mix of hatred and fear.

Sasuke slowly brought his hand up to her cheek, applying enough pressure to force her to turn her head and look at him.

"Sakura, what aren't you telling me?" he asked. Sakura continued to stare into his eyes, sating nothing.

"I believe I can answer that." The two teens turned to see a shadowy figure walking towards them. "hello Sasuke, Sakura,"" it greeted.

A chill ran up Sasuke's spine, making his whole body stiffen.

That voice.

He _knew_ that voice.

"Orochimaru."

* * *

**Next time, on Royal Blood:**

_Tension is high as Sasuke and Sakura come face-to-face with the dangerous Sannin Vampire, Orochimaru. Will they be able to ward him off, or will someone get hurt?_

_18. Orochimaru_


	18. Orochimaru

* * *

_18. Orochimaru_

* * *

Sakura quickly stood up and went to stand between Sasuke and the man who syred him. As the legendary vampire continued to walk forward, Sasuke's blood began to boil. _This _was the one who changed his life. _This_ was the one who pretty much killed and tortured for a living. _This _was Orochimaru. The one who Itachi was trying to protect him from the most of all people. Sasuke could still remember the night he was syred, as if it were only yesterday. The shock, the fear, and the pain from when Orochimaru was sitting on him, sucking the life out of the teen's neck.

Sasuke had to suppress a shudder from the last memory and force his hand to not go to the spot where he was bit.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding casual—almost friendly. Her eyes told otherwise. The man chuckled, stopping a few yards away from the two.

"Relax, Sakura. I only came to check on my Sasuke, over there," he said lightly, giving Sasuke a smile. Said boy rose and came to stand beside Sakura, sending a glare to Orochimaru. His eyes also held a firm defiance.

"I'm not yours," he stated. '_Stupid pedophile,'_ his mind added. Orochimaru began to chuckle lightly, making Sasuke's jaw clench.

"No; not yet, of course," he said. Sasuke caught the quick movement of the vampire's eyes wonder up and down the boy's body, and scowled.

"Disgusting pervert," Sasuke muttered, too low for the older vamp to hear it, but Sakura did. She quickly jabbed her elbow into his side, making him wince ever so slightly in the face, his posture remaining the same. There were a few moments of silence in the area.

"Sakura, I'm surprised! You haven't questioned my motives yet," Orochimaru said. The look in his eyes still was giving Sasuke the heebie-jeebies.

"Well, perhaps it is because I no longer care," she replied easily. "You need pull you head out of your rear end and see that my energy doesn't revolve around you," she added. Sasuke wondered silently how the woman could be so strong. He himself was about to blow his top off!

"Well, if that's true, then tell me—why is Sasuke still here?" the Sannin asked with a smirk.

Well, _that_ sure got his attention.

Why was he here? Sakura had already taught him everything he needed to know. He knew the dangers of feeding off of humans, which is why he never does it. It can control himself and his desires for blood when in a crowd. He knows how to take care of his new body so that he doesn't start to spontaneously decompose. What else is there? Sure, she never did teach him much on how to fight, but he could pick that up on his own. Why was he still here?

Not that he minded, really. Over the year he's been here, he's come to enjoy this life more than his previous one. Sure, it would be a few more years before he could eat food again and not have it taste like dirt, but he could get over that. He enjoyed being in the foreign country with Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura. She even got him back in contact with his brother! And also, his mind added, he liked being around Sakura. She was smart, yet didn't boast about it. She was pretty, but didn't turn out to be prideful because of it. And she was good company. Sasuke would admit it to himself; he had grown attached to her. It was hard to think of going somewhere without her. True, they were only supposed to be in France for a few months, but the topic of returning to America had never once come up in conversation.

Until now, that is.

When Sasuke was having such thoughts, and sakura remained eerily silent, Orochimaru continued.

"Sasuke and his friends were supposed to go back to the States months ago—shouldn't Sasuke be in college right now for psychology instead of playing the good-guy in France, with you?" Sasuke had to resist the urge to take a few steps back. How did this guy know what Sasuke wanted to go to college for? He never told anyone—not even Naruto! "Oh, Sakura, don't tell me it's what I think it is!" he said in a sickly cheerful tone—one that Sasuke heard girls in his school use for fresh new gossip.

"Oh, do you really?" Sakura seethed, her teeth clenched.

"Oh, yes! I truly believe I finally know what this is all about!"

Sasuke listened in obvious confusion as the two (mostly Mr. Oreo) conversed in a different language. And it wasn't French. Portuguese, maybe? Sasuke couldn't tell for sure. But there were a few things that Sasuke was sure of:

That the more Orochimaru was saying, the angrier Sakura's expression became. And that only made the old man grin in a delightedly wicked manner that could only mean no good.

Sakura was angry. Visibly angry. And that, Sasuke knew, was an extremely rare thing to see. Kiba even said that she never showed when she was angry. Whatever it was that Orochimaru was saying, it was something HUGE if it got Sakura to lose her control.

Then, the old vampire whispered something that mad Sakura freeze in the words that she had been shooting from her mouth. Her face froze also as her eyes got even wider than what Sasuke thought was physically possible. Then, from what he could tell, Sakura began muttering a phrase over and over again, her voice shaky. This alone made Orochimaru laugh out loud.

"Hey! What did you do to her?!" Sasuke shouted, going over to Sakura's side. Orochimaru began to chuckle (again).

"There's no need to worry _too_ much, Sasuke. I merely reminded her of what all I just happen to know."

And with that said, he was gone, miles and miles away in two seconds.

Sasuke looked over, shocked to find Sakura sitting on her feet, legs folded under her. Her arms were slightly wrapped around herself.

Sasuke went and knelt down beside her, his hand unconsciously going to her shoulder as some sign of comfort. Before he could think of anything to say to her, the girl tipped over and fell into his chest, shaking. Once over the surprise, Sasuke moved closer to her so she was a bit more comfortable, her face going to the crook of his neck. Sasuke noticed that even though they were so close, her in his arms, she wasn't there. It was her body making the involuntary movements, but Sakura herself was in a distant part of her mind, like she had been when she returned to the house a while back.

They stayed in the position—Sasuke holding his arms firmly around Sakura's small figure—for for a few more minutes. Then Sakura stood, taking a deep breath, and walked silently back into her abode. Sasuke followed, easily keeping up with her slow pace (slow for _them_, that is).

"Sakura?"

She kept walking, heading upstairs.

"Sakura," he repeated, trying to gain her attention. Why was it difficult all of a sudden? When Sakura didn't respond to his calls, Sasuke stepped in front of her, looking her staraight in the eye and blocking her from the door to her bedroom. "Sakura, look at me."

Slowly, her head tilted upwards, staring right back at him. Sasuke's mind spun from the look on her face. There was almost no emotion on her features. And for what little there was, Sasuke coulnd't put a name to it. He brought his hand up to her cheek, stroking it softly.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered gently. Sakura took his hand and pulled it away from her. She brushed passed him, their shoulders touching only the slightest of moments, and entered her room. Sasuke walked in behind her, watching her movements carefully.

"What I'm thinking . . ." she mumbled. Sasuke watched as she dialed a number in the phone book she had just pulled out.

For an airport.

". . . is that it's time for you to go home."

* * *

Yeah, it's late. My computer got some viruses and we're not sure where they came from. So in the time that i couldn't go online because internet was down, i got more chapters tyoed up! Yay!

Anyone see the latest Naruto Manga? HOLY CRAP, INTENSE!

NEXT CHAPTER:_ Saying Goodbye_


	19. Saying Goodbye

* * *

_19. Saying Goodbye_

* * *

"What?"

Sakura ignored him, instead checking for the flights to the US. When she closed her phone, she stalked past Sasuke, saying:

"Start packing and wake up Naruto and Hinata." Sasuke watched as Sakura made her way downstairs.

Sighing, he slowly (for _him_, that is) made his way down the hall to Naruto and Hinata's bedroom. He secretly invited himself in stealthily. But just as he was about to say something to wake them up, a sight stopped him.

The two of them were sleeping, of course, but it was the position they were in. Sure, it was common among all young lovers, most likely, and you could read about it in a hundred different ways. But when you are the one to experience it, or seeing your best friend in that type of moment with their special someone, it is completely different.

They were spooning, Hinata's back against Naruto's chest. She was curled into a semi-bal, and his body was curled slightly around her. Sasuke knew this position from studies: it was an unconscious way that one would protect the other. While his right arm was hooked snugly around the young woman's waist, his left arm was under her head, cushioning it. Naruto's face was buried in her long, dark hair. They both had the look of peace and serenity on their faces. Sasuke watched as Hinata turned over in her boyfriend's arms, another scene unfolding itself. As she moved, Naruto unconsciously snuggled closer to her, their legs intertwining under the white sheets. Naruto then moved onto his back, taking Hinata and having her head resting on his chest, his arms still around her. Sasuke always thought that if two people could do that in their deep sleep, their souls were made for each other. They were in sync.

Sasuke smiled slightly. There was once a time where he thought the words 'Naruto' and 'romantic relationship' would never be used in the same sentence. Well, he can now be proved wrong. Heck, he almost envied his best friend. He _had_ a special someone. There were a good number of people who never found their soulmate. Sasuke figured himself as one of those people.

Sighing, Sasuke walked over to the edge of the bed. "Yo, Naruto." He shook his friend's shoulder slightly, also causing Hinata to stir in her sleep. Their eyes cracked open, squinting from the light coming in from the hallway. Once their sight adjusted, they both gave Sasuke a questioning look.

"Why'd you wake me up Sasuke?" Naruto questioned sleepily.

"Get up and pack you things. We are leaving for home."

"What?!"

* * *

Three hours later, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, and Itachi were sitting in the seats by their terminal door with their carry-on bags next to them. Sakura walked back over to the group, having just ended an important phone call from Tsunade. Her face held the mask it had whenever there was an emotion running wild. Her 'poker face' is what Sasuke once her Kiba call it.

"_Her . . . poker face?"_

"_Yeah," Kiba said, grinning. "She'll use it to protect herself from an enemy. To prevent them from guessing her emotion," he explained._

"_How exactly does that help?" Sasuke asked. Kiba put his hand under his chin thoughtfully._

"_Well, if you are freaking out, they'll take advantage of your fear. If you are prepared to just kill someone, there is this expression you'll have and so many people know what it looks like. If you have that on your face, they'll know you're up to something, and become cautious. But if they can't read your face, they won't know what you are going to do, and you will most likely have to upper hand. Do you see what I mean?"_

_Sasuke turned back to the match between Sakura and Naruto. By the looks of it, Sakura was going easy on him._

The sight of the others getting up brought Sasuke back to the present. Grabbing his carry-on luggage, he followed behind the others to the door. He watched as Sakura handed the tickets to the woman at the desk. She quickly said goodbye to the others, giving Naruto and Hinata a friendly hug and shaking Itachi's hand.

When Sasuke walked up to her, she visibly froze. They were hardly aware of the presence of other people passing by. Awkwardly, she put her hand out, expecting him to shake it. Sasuke stared at it for a moment, and then slowly grasped it. And when he made sure that Sakura's eyes were averted to something other than him, he gave her arm a slight tug.

A surprised Sakura fell forward into Sasuke's chest. He held her to him, and gave her a soft, lingering kiss on her unsuspecting pink lips.

He forced himself to pull away before she could even respond to his action. Turning, Sasuke walked away, getting onto the plane that would separate them for good.

He stepped into his first-class seat, next to his brother, who had the aisle seat. Both remained silent for a bit.

* * *

"Everything alright, Sasuke?" Itachi asked as they pulled back, going into the sky. Sasuke risked a glance at his older brother. He tried to keep up his own poker face, but failed. Failed against Itachi, who could read him like a children's book. Going into his caring-older-brother-mode, Itachi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He knew from the moment he reunited with his little brother that the younger vampire Uchiha had hidden feelings for the pinkette.

* * *

Sakura watched as the plane left the ground. Her finger touched her lips; the feeling of _his_ still remained. Sighing, she walked outside, heading back to her car. Suddenly, she felt hands on her arms and watched as she was quickly yanked back to a dark spot between buildings.

'_I've never been able to move that fast!'_ she thought.

She felt herself being shoved against a wall, a large needle poking the back of her neck. She could faintly smell a venom depressant coming from the tip of the needle—a poison that would kill her in a nanosecond.

"I think the two of us need to have a little chat, hm?"

* * *

**Hey!! Sorry it's been a little while. Testing and what-not. Anyway, I need you people's help! There is this amazing sasusaku story and i want to read it again, but now i can't find it! What happened was that eveyone was part of a royal family or something. Sasuke and Sakura were like, seven or something, and sakura was taken to the Uchiha Palace to meet the brothers and the parents would decide which one she would marry when she was older. She liked sasuke, but the next day, the entire uchiha house was killed except itachi. well, years later, sakura hass to go there to prepare to marry him instead, sasuke still lives there, hiding with the prisoners, and they fall in love and all that.**

**DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE STORY?!?!?!?**

**Next Chatper: **_Something Bad_

**Also, I finished writing out this story, but it needs to be typed. I have also started the SEQUEL.**


	20. Something Bad

* * *

_20. Something Bad_

* * *

Sasuke and the others stepped out of the airport, waiting for their cab. It felt weird being back in the States, Sasuke decided, after seeing the life that others had in Europe. They waited in the shade, looking back and forth for their ride. Sasuke noticed his brother keeping his hand discreetly under his nose. Then the man would fidget slightly when a girl would walk by.

Sasuke felt sudden anger. Just as Itachi has been turned—by Sakura—and then wakes up—because of Sakura—he can't be taught—by _Sakura_—how he should live and how to control urges. He found it ironic that people always leave others at the time when someone needs them more than ever. He hated it when people did that. How the heck could she have simply just shoved them out at such short notice, and then hardly even—?

Sasuke shook his head, berating himself for thinking like that. Sakura probably had a very legitimate reason for kicking them out.

Digging into a suitcase, Sasuke pulled out a bottle of water (prop) and what looked like a medicine bottle. He gave the bottle and two tablets to his older brother.

"What's this?" the man asked.

"Blood tablets. Sakura gave them to me. Take those; they'll help stabilize your urges to drink. It should last around six hours," he said in monotone. Itachi grumbled, but did as he was advised. A few minutes later, Sasuke noticed a black car pull up to the curb, right in front of the spot that the group was seated at. Itachi stood, signaling for the others to follow him. They got into the vehicle.

"Nice to see you again, Tiashi," he said from the passenger seat.

Sasuke glanced up; it took all his strength (pride) to keep his jaw from dropping. He couldn't deny it—the woman was downright breathtaking. She had long, platinum blonde hair that looked almost like fine silk. Her skin was utterly flawless and looked smooth. Her figure was slim, yet looked extremely powerful for her size. She seemed to be only a few inches shorter than Itachi. Her eyes were a sharp, deep brown. She was wearing black cargo pants that had hot pink stitching, a lime-green camisole, and a black jacket.

Tiashi then surprised the three people in the back seats by a very bold action. She grabbed Itachi by the collar, yanked in towards her, and took him into a fierce kiss. After a second, Itachi brought his hand to the back of her head, his fingers going through her hair. Their tongues became visible for a second, and they both began moaning—

"Hey!!! We're still here, you know!" Naruto shouted, interrupting them before it became too serious.

The two pulled away from each other quickly, saying nothing. What Sasuke found amusing was the fact that neither looked embarrassed by what just happened and the fact that there was an audience. When they were driving, Sasuke also noticed that they did not even acknowledge the other's presence in the slightest of ways.

Interesting.

After a couple of hours of driving through long, country roads, they arrived at a luxurious-looking house that seemed to date back in the 1920's, by the looks of it. Then Hinata noticed something.

"Why is it that we were sent to a place that isn't even near Konoha, let alone our home state?" she asked to no one in particular. It was the Tiashi woman who answered.

"It'll be a day or two before we can get you all home."

As they were walking into the new house, Naruto asked:

"So, how do the two of you know each other?"

Everyone looked towards Itachi for the answer.

"Oh, well . . . you see—"

"We used to be fuck buddies," Tiashi deadpanned. Sasuke gapped at his older brother.

"You? What happened to the religious guy I used to know? Who are you?"

Itachi gave a heavy sigh, running his hand through his hair. A sign Sasuke new that meant frustration. He gave Tiashi a look.

"It wasn't like that," he growled. Tiashi glared at him. The two seemed to be in their own little world.

"Oh, really? Then what is it like when after so many great times, you leave with a letter on the pillow saying that 'there was nothing there'?" she snapped back, furious. Sasuke looked around the large room they were standing in.

'_Where's the dang popcorn?'_

"Tiashi, there is a _time and a place_, and _this isn't it!!!_"

After a moment, brown eyes shot to the three-person audience. "Upstairs, left hall, you'll find your guest rooms. Go."

Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata scrambled up the spiral stairs, following the woman's orders.

After the three went upstairs and were in their rooms, Tiashi stalked into another room, Itachi right at her heals. Once were both inside, Tiashi turned and slid the hidden doors shut that was customized to soundproof the room. (NOTE: it's an old Victorian house. Some houses were built with doors in the walls that would close off certain rooms).

She turned back to the dark-haired man, eyes demanding an explanation. "I know," she began, "that you are not authorized to give details about your missions. But please, for my sake, tell me just this." She walked forward until their bodies were almost touching. "Did you ever feel anything for me? Ever?" she whispered. Itachi stared at the woman in front of him, that odd feeling in his stomach again. After a short moment that could have lasted forever, he gave her a brief kiss on the forehead, and then, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in to him. When Tiashi put her head on his chest, he rested his head on the top of her head.

"On my mission, I almost died." Thin arms wound around his torso. "I was staring death in the face, and do you know what went through my head?" he asked softly.

"Your brother?"

"Well, yeas, but also, _you_. All the times we spent together; laughs in your library; walks in the park; our first time—just all of the good things."

"And now you're still here because someone turned you," she whispered.

"No, I'm alive from sheer luck. I was syred for an entirely different reason. Something is coming, Tiashi—something _bad_. I can feel it. And when _I_ get a feeling, you know what happens."

". . .bloodshed."

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Tiashi is my own character, and created her and I own her. You may not use her without my permission.**

Next chapter: _A night not to be forgotten_


	21. A Night no to be Forgotten pt1

* * *

_21. A Night Not to be Forgotten pt1_

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Dobe, we've only been on the road for an hour. We've got two days more, so just be patient."

"Hey, look! Cows!" Naruto shouted. After a moment, a smack was heard from Itachi slamming his forehead into the dashboard in front of him, sighing. Tiashi patted his shoulder, mumbling that it would be over soon.

The five were on the road back to Konoha, after four days at Tiashi's house. After some decision making, the woman had decided to travel back with them. Naruto said it was just so she could sleep with Itachi some more and that comment had gotten him hit over the head by both people involved in the joke. Sasuke, who was in the back seat, stared out through the window. They were driving through large, majestic mountains of purple and other colors he couldn't describe. There was so much life all around him, but nothing within him. There was a strange aching in his chest knowing that he wouldn't see her again. When was the last time he had this feeling? It seemed so familiar . . .

It was right after his parents died from the car crash when he was a kid. Sadness was what he was feeling. But why?

Sasuke stared out again, gazing at everything that seemed to be covered in lush-green vegetation. Green like Sakura's eyes . . .

Sasuke really missed the pink-haired woman. He would never admit it, but he had grown just a little attached to her. She never worshipped the ground that he walked on like other girls, for which he was thankful. She was intelligent, had a sense of humor, and she was always so caring towards everyone. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder about her. Did she miss him? What was she doing right now?

* * *

"I already told you, I know nothing," the unusually frail woman said quietly through clenched teeth. She screamed when the fire raced through her body again. It felt worse than the first time in burned her veins. There was more added, and she felt herself scream again. Her throat began to hurt form all of the screaming. Too much. There was too much inside of her. It was there, and then it would be gone. There, and then gone. Over and over again. A painful cycle that needed to end, but wouldn't.

"Sakura, I really don't like putting this stuff inside of you. You and your body could be put back into peace if you just simply cooperate with me. Now I'll ask again. Where are Sasuke and Itachi?" Kimimaru asked politely. His voice could be so deceiving at times . . .

He stared at the woman before him, slightly impressed with her. She was slender and beautiful, yes. But behind the pretty face was the deadly monster within, just waiting to be set free. But no matter how strong she was, she was stuck this time. She was strapped to the chair, one that even _she_ couldn't break. Her long, pastel-colored hair was tangled, matted with blue blood, dirt, and dry sweat. Her clothes were tattered, covered in the silver-blue liquid. Vampire venom—their own bloodline. She had been bruised and cut in several places repeatedly, the poison that kept her living having flowed out of the injuries. All vampires know that if one had too little venom in their body, they would die. Just like if a human didn't have enough blood.

All vampires also knew that they could die from having too much venom inside their system.

Kimimaru ran the tip of the ancient vampire blade under Sakura's collar bone, letting the new poison within her to drip back out, running over other wounds he had created. He would follow this exact procedure every time. Let the new venom cause pain throughout her body, and then drain it, weakening the victim once more.

At that moment, a man walked into the room.

"The brothers have been located."

**

* * *

**

ELEVEN HOURS LATER . . .

"Okay, _please_ tell me we're almost there!"

"Dobe, if you don't _shut up_ in two seconds—"

"Quiet, both of you! If you two make another peep, I'll bash both of your heads into steel walls!"

" . . ."

". . . I bet she can't even find a steel wall."

Itachi spun around so fast in the passenger seat that Sasuke didn't even catch it. He sent an irritated glare at Sasuke, his eyes just thin slits. "Listen, if she doesn't force you guys to zip it, _I will._"

After that silence ensued. Besides the back-seat-bickering, the car ride had been pretty quiet. They would have had the radio on, but the fact that Naruto wanted to listen to rock on The Zone and Sasuke wanted to listen to hip hop and rap on Kiss FM, and there was a radio control in the back, and they were both messing with it to win the control, Tiashi quickly squashed that idea down in the dirt.

So once again, the group sat in silence. After about ten minutes, the full vampires heard a noise, one that was so faint that even they had trouble hearing it. Tiashi stopped the car on the side of the road, listening carefully.

"Itachi, did you hear that?" she asked in a whisper. The man nodded.

"Yeah. I smell it, too." At that comment, Tiashi rolled down her window. After taking a few deep breaths through her nose, she gasped, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Oh, no! That's Sakura!" she shouted, getting out.

"What?!"

Everyone else quickly got out, standing in the middle of the deserted country road. They gazed out down the road, at first seeing nothing. Then, a second later, Sakura was standing in front of them. Hinata gasped, her eyes widening in fear.

"Sakura, what happened to you?!" she asked, staring at the woman's dreadful appearance. Everyone took in the sight of Sakura's torn, dirty cloths and the injuries that adorned her once-flawless skin. They also noticed how she was slightly hunched over, as if in pain. Sakura coughed, droplets venom spraying from her mouth.

"They're here—looking!" she wheezed out, coughing again. Her form shook from the power of the racking coughs.

"Sakura, what are you talking about, what's going on?" Sasuke asked aloud. His mind was still in shock that this had happened to her, whatever this was. He couldn't think of anyone or anything that was strong enough to hurt even Sakura! Who could have done this?

"Please, they're almost here we have to—"

Sakura was quickly interrupted by a bone chilling scream, louder than the ones she had produced. They sent chills done her spine—no one should ever be able to scream l that loud, they shouldn't have to be put to that. The human vocal chords should never b strained hat much!

"HINATA!"

Everyone stared at the girl and the tip of a blade that was sticking out through her stomach, and then disappeared again, the limp body falling forward. Behind her was none other than a smirking Kabuto.

Sakura caught the dying girl and ran, everyone following behind her. They stopped in the middle of the field next to the road, still wanting to be able to see where the enemy was at. Feeling a rumbling, Sasuke turned and looked down. His eyes widened to see the ground beneath his feet and around them begin rising up like walls, blocking out the enemy.

"What the—"

"Tiashi is a vampire, Sasuke—remember how I told you that we all have gifts? Well, this is her gift," Sakura said quickly. By this time, Naruto had taken Hinata into his arms. She was bleeding, and it was everywhere. On the ground, in the air, and on everyone's cloths. Sasuke stared at all of the blood that was still coming out of her. How could one person hold so much blood in their veins? Naruto's cloths were now stained red, creating a light brown from mixing with the color of his jacket.

"No . . . no, no, no . . ." the blonde man whispered repeatedly. Sakura's heart clenched at seeing the emotional pain in his eyes. That feeling/

She knew that feeling all too well.

The pain of knowing you are going to lose someone, and then the feeling you get inside of you that you have lost them. It is an emotional thing, but a lot of times the pain turns physical. Sakura would know that all too well. Just staring at Hinata reminded her of when her parents were slaughtered by a new vampire.

By their only daughter.

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, "I can save her, but you might not like it," she said. Naruto didn't look up, but continued to cry out his heart, staring at his lover.

"Y-you mean . . . t-turn her?" he choked out. Sakura nodded, adding a 'yes' since he wasn't looking at her.

"Sakura . . ." Everyone looked down at the pale-than-white dying girl who had whispered the name. She looked up at Sakura, her eyes shockingly full of strong determination. "Do it."

* * *

**Currently watching the Memorial service for Michael Jackson. He was a legend. For people that hate him, don't comment. He was strange, but he never had a childhood so shut up if you got shit to say.**

**Next Chapter: **_A Night Not to be Forgotten pt2_


	22. A Night Not to be Forgotten pt2

* * *

_22. A Night Not to be Forgotten pt2_

* * *

There was a sudden pounding on the walls, causing Tiashi to struggle to keep them up.

"Hinata, are you sure?" Sakura asked. She couldn't handle the _thought_ of taking Hinata's life away from her. Yes, she was close to death, but this is a huge decision!

"Yes."

Sakura stepped closer to where the girl was being held, kneeling down. She could tell from the look in her eyes that Hinata was sure she wanted this. She quickly leaned down and bit any area she could: Hinata's shoulder, neck, and arms. Normally, a vampire wouldn't do this if they were purposely trying to turn a person. Even for a human, too much venom is that much more painful than just being bit at all. But in this case, where someone was already so close to death, Sakura had no choice. The more venom, the better, is what she figured.

Or rather, that what she told herself to get rid of the guilt that she was causing someone extreme pain.

Hinata gasped slightly at the first bite. The process of being bitten she would say was ten times more painful that when the sword went through her—she would know because she didn't go numb like she thought she would. While the vampire poison began running through her veins, and more was being added, Hinata took all of the energy she had left to try not to scream. She had known Sakura for a few years now, and she knew very well that the woman tried at all costs to avoid causing someone unreasonable pain. Even if it was the enemy. The young woman knew that this must be hard for Sakura, having to turn her and cause this much stress on her. Hinata vowed and forced herself to not scream and make it worse and more painful for Sakura than it already was.

And if this was hard on Sakura, Hinata couldn't even begin to imagine what Naruto was going through.

Sakura stood then, facing Naruto while whipping the blood from her lips and face. "Go. Take her somewhere safe."

As she finished the sentence, the walls around them came down against Tiashi's command. Sakura and the others looked all around them. The small group was now completely surrounded by a larger group of vampires. As Sasuke looked at each of their faces, his heart fell to the bit of his soul.

Two of the many vampires surrounding them were Kabuto and Orochimaru.

As everyone formed a compact circle around Hinata, the latter of the former mentioned stepped forward.

"Tell me, Sakura, what is it about this boy hat makes you so eager to protect him?" he asked with a sickly sweet smile. Sakura knelt down like a cat and barred her teeth, her expression wild. The others followed her action.

"Is that really any of your business?!" a voice shouted.

Sakura looked past Orochimaru and his men and let out a gasp of surprise.

There, on the edge of the field, stood Kiba, Sai, and the Sannin, Jiryiah. The old man stepped forward.

"Long time, no see, Orochimaru." The black-haired Sannin smile creepily.

"Jiryiah, what a pleasant surprise," he said smoothly. He and the others around him knelt down, preparing to attack. But before they could do anything, Sai pulled out a scroll and brush, flew the tool across the paper, and had a lion form from it.

_'Is that even possible?!'_ Sasuke's mind screamed. In the short amount of time, he simply chalked it up to Sai's "gift".

So fast, even for vampires, Kiba, Jiryiah, Sai, and Sakura pounced at the enemy. In the same second, all had been taken down besides Orochimaru and Kabuto. The two were just being surrounded when Sasuke was yanked back suddenly by Itachi.

"Hey! What are you—?!"

"C'mon! We have to get you out of here!" he said, dragging Sasuke away from the fight.

"We?!"

He then noticed Kakashi come up his other side.

"Hurry it up, kid; we don't have all day!"

Before he knew it, the trio was speeding through the fields, away from everything else. "Wait! Shouldn't we be helping the others?!"

"There is no time for that; they'll all be fine. This was a direct order from Sakura," Kakashi explained in a rush.

"But why are they here?" Sasuke asked, referring to the Sound Vamps. This time, it was his brother who answered his almost-frantic question.

"Sasuke, they're here for _you_."

"What?!" he shouted. "What are you talking about?!"

"I'll explain later, now let's get going!"

* * *

After taking out the others, everyone surrounded Orochimaru and Kabuto. The former smirked. "Ah, what an interesting scenario. How about we make them odds a bit fairer, hm?"

Suddenly, two more Sound Vamps appeared. Sai and Kiba pounced at them instantly, leading them away. Sakura now knew that she would be facing Kabuto, letting Jiryiah take care of Orochimaru. It was only fair that the Sannin would fight each other. Although . . .

"You know, Kabo-butt, I think I'm going to enjoy this. Pupil verses pupil. And this time, only one will walk away in one piece." The man standing across from Sakura smirked, gently sliding his large glasses further up the bridge of his nose. The lenses reflected the glare of the yellow street light from down the road.

"Indeed, this _will_ be quite interesting."

They jumped away from the other fights taking place around them, running parallel to each other down the road. When they were far enough away that no one would get in their way. They began to revolve around each other. Their movements reminded Sakura slightly of a binary star system. The circle they were making was becoming smaller the closer they got to each other in each full revolution.

Sakura watched Kabuto with extreme caution, trying to predict his next move, if he had any. She knew from experience that the male vampire didn't have any extra speed, but he greatly made up for what he lacked with stealth and manipulation. She also knew that when fighting Kabuto, one should never make the first move. He was more of a defensive type of fighter. Not only that, but when one move was made, her could have the next five moves figured out in a matter of milliseconds. He was very notorious for it. So only move first when he doesn't.

Unfortunately, though, that was what Sakura was going to have to do, seeing as he wasn't doing anything yet. When he was close enough, Sakura lunged forward with her entire being. She quickly knocked the toxic needle out of his left hand, also pulling out his spare out of his pocket. She smashed him into the ground, sitting on his chest and pinning his wrists above his head with one hand. With the other, she held the needle positioned against his neck, angling it perfectly so that it would go right through his neck, directly to his nerve chord. He chuckled with a smirk gracing his smooth features.

"This is quite the position, eh?" he said in a suggestive, sexy voice. Sakura gave him a hard glare.

"Shut up; I have some questions for you."

* * *

**Well, that didn't take long. I know that my chapters aren't getting very long, but you people will just have to deal with it. If chapters are longer, than the story gets to be a lot shorter. And then people complain because there aren't enough chapters. I can't make everyone happy. ****I am trying to get as much done as possible. I have summer gym classes four days a week--from 8am to 1pm. And then I just got off my summer job, which was umpiring for Lob Ball games. I am waiting for the much-needed check. ****And I'm kaing videos. I'll be getting a Youtube account this week, and you guys can also follow me there.**

**Next Chapter: **_Royal Blood_


	23. Royal Blodd

* * *

_23._ **_Royal Blood_**

* * *

Itachi led Sasuke as far as possible with the intense speed, Kakashi bringing up to rear. "Kakashi, are we close yet?!" he shouted from the front. Said man sped in front of the other two, signaling for Itachi to go behind Sasuke.

"Just follow me!"

They made a sharp turn through the compact trees. After twenty minutes of avoiding larger branches and breading the smaller ones out of the way, Kakashi stopped them at a giant oak tree. He peered closely at the ground, bent down, and began tearing the vegetation from the ground at a quick pace.

Before Sasuke could question his motives, he saw a huge gap in the ground, large enough for two people to crawl through. The hole had been under a large tree root sticking out of the ground, the greenery having made it invisible to the naked, unsuspecting eye.

"Quick, get in!" he ordered, motioning for the brothers to go through. They immediately complied, waiting for Kakashi to cover up the entrance before moving on. They quickly realized that the entrance led down to a deep, wide, man-made cavern. They walked through the narrow tunnel. It kept descending at a steep angle until they walked up to a spot where there was a fork in the road. There were several tunnels branching out from the point they stood at.

"Fifth from the right," Kakashi ordered.

They walked on for another fifteen minutes. Sasuke felt the path descending again. He figured that they had to be at least near seven hundred feet below sea level. Before he knew it, their walking had caused them to end up in a large room. The ceiling was triple the height of the width of the place. It was cool and moisture was in the air. Sasuke could faintly hear rushing water somewhere miles away, figuring the underground place must be connected to it somehow. There was light coming up through the ceiling that was right above solar-powered lights, illuminating the large place. The light on the stalagmites and stalactites caused eerie shadows on the walls.

"Whoa."

"That's what she said," Itachi mumbled. They were both then wacked on the back of the head by Kakashi.

"Quiet!" he whispered. He led them through the room, down another tunnel.

_'What is with all of the tunnels?!'_

After even more walking, there was a soft light at the end of the tunnel.

_'Faint glow at the end of a tunnel . . . just like death,'_ he thought dimly. They exited into yet another room, this one smaller than the previous one. To Sasuke's surprise, there were a few small groups of people gathered, chatting animatedly. The moment the three males walked in, the noise stopped completely. The only sound was the stream in the distance. A man from the crowd stood, his face hard, and sauntered over to the trio. He was well-built with large muscles in his arms. He had short brown hair with grey eyes that had a tint of gold to them.

Vegetarian vampire.

"Is this the one, Kakashi?" he drawled, a southern accent in his baritone voice. The silver-haired vampire nodded.

"His brother, also," he replied, pointing at Itachi. The stranger knelt down in front of the two Uchiha brothers, his head bowed. All the other people in the room stood up and mimicked his gesture, including Kakashi.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked out loud.

"You don't know?" someone asked at loud, slight surprise in their voice. "You two are the ones from the prophecy. You are royalty to all vampires on our side of the war!"

"Crap. Didn't think the news would spread this quickly," Itachi muttered. Sasuke turned to his brother.

"You have _so_ much explaining to do. Starting now!"

"Fine." The elder Uchiha walked calmly towards the center of the room where a circle of people was forming. Sasuke sat down as Itachi paced around the seated circle. His hands were behind his back—a gesture that Sasuke learned Itachi took up when he was beginning to get nervous. After Itachi made two full revolutions around the group of people, he began to speak. "Sasuke, how long do you think vampires have walked this earth?" he asked. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his brother. He was being so clichéd with the way he was talking.

"Too long to be recorded."

"Yeah. Well, since the beginning of the vampire era, there has been a prophecy. It was given to the three legendary Sannin Vampires."

"Sarutobi gave it to them, then?" Sasuke asked. Itachi nodded.

"Yes. The first vampire received it in a dream the night before he himself turned vampire. He remembered the dream, always calling it a vision. When he syred Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiryiah, he told them about the vision he had those few hundred years before. It was agreed that it was a prophecy that was given to the man.

"The prophecy stated that a young man would be syred during a war among our kind. When syred, he would later be gifted with a magnificent power. A power that would serve as an influential weapon during the war to whichever side he was on. And then the side that he was on would be the side of vampires that would rule. Sasuke, the man that the prophecy is talking about is _you_," Itachi stated, very clear for all to hear.

There was a silence that not even a sword could slice through, it was so thick. Sasuke shook his head, trying to comprehend what he was just told.

"Me? And how the heck do you figure that?"

"Easy. The profit would be a descendant of Madara Uchiha and be the one to survive the bite from being syred."

"But wait! What about you? Itachi, we are both descendant of Madara, and we both have survived the bite of being syred. For all we know, the prophecy could also be talking about you! And what if there were others in the family before us to have become vampires? Like, thousands of years ago, or something?" Sasuke asked in a rush.

This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening.

"Good question. First: the profit had to syred during a war. There have been smaller wars before, but not one that had one side of the entire vampire world going up against the other half. Second, yes, we both have survived. But the only difference between us is that you were syred by a Sannin, and I was syred by Sakura, who is not a Sannin. To be turned by one of them symbolizes greatness, according to other vampires." In response, everyone in the room gave a slight nod.

"But . . . how does that even—"

"Sasuke, it is a fact. Because of all of this, you are considered royal to everyone who has heard the prophecy. You are going to determine the outcome of this war."

"Why me?" Sasuke asked, almost inaudible. His brother shrugged nonchalantly.

"I honestly don't know, Sasuke. But it is what it is. And there you need to step up to this role and take it with pride. There are thousands—millions, even—of vampires who would willingly risk their existences to assist you if it meant peace. You may not be ready, but you need to remember that _no one_ is ready.

"But Sasuke, you are going to have me, Sakura, Naruto, and all the others standing beside you through all of this and everything to come. Never forget that," he said with a small smile.

* * *

**Yes, I updated! I'm really sorry for such a long wait. I feel so bad! Well, now i'm starting up in high school, and it's freaking scary! One of the teachers said that they despise all freshman. GREAT.**

**So this is the point in the story where things get really interesting. It's all supposed to be told in Sasuke's perspective-as third person-but in a few chapters, that will have to change for spicific reasons.**

**HEY!! DOES ANYONE WATCH MACROSS FRONTIER?! IS THERE A SITE WHERE YOU CAN WATCH ENGLISH EPISODES, BESIDES YOUTUBE?!?!**

**Next chapter: **_I Never Asked for This_


	24. I Never Asked for This

* * *

_24. I Never Asked For This_

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke! You made it!"

Said man turned to find Naruto running into the room. When he saw the look on Sasuke's face, he knew. "Guess they told you the story, huh?"

"How long have _you_ known?" Sasuke demanded. He found it unfair that Naruto knew of this prophecy thing before him.

"Ten minutes longer than you have."

Never mind.

"How's Hinata doing?" Itachi asked carefully. Everyone anticipated Naruto breaking down again, but they were surprised.

"I think she'll be okay," he answered calmly. "Tiashi is taking care of her right now. She said that Hinata will be awake in about a week." Mike—the man who greeted them earlier with the Southern accent—stood.

"Alright, enough small talk. We have to come up with a plan!"

"So, uh . . . who are we fighting exactly?" Naruto asked.

"For now, Orochimaru along with anyone and everyone that is on his side. Though we could be wrong, some people have a theory that once Orochimaru alone is taken out, we will have less to fight because most might be working under him because of slavery and fear of his power." Everyone nodded in understanding. "We have to take them down from the inside, if possible. That's the only way it will work. But the last thing we want to do right now is send one of our own people in there when—hey, kid! Where do you think you're going?!"

Sasuke didn't turn as he walked out of the room, choosing a random tunnel. "I need time to think." After a second, he heard a pair of feet following him. It was Naruto.

In a calm quiet, the two walked side by side through the tunnels until they came upon an opening to the outside world. This time, they were next to a large lake surrounded by giant trees. They sat down near the hidden opening. Sasuke took his time taking in what lie before him. He couldn't tell what kind of trees they were, just that the bark was a blackish-brown and that they were extremely thick. They rose up high, their leaves covering most of the sky above them because of the close proximity between the trees. The lake was murky with different types of algae growing in it, though Sasuke did see some aquatic life in it. It was dark out; the only light given was from the few stars and bright, full moon. Even though he was from a city, Sasuke was used to all the greenery from the forest behind Sakura's mansion, though this scene did take on a bit of an eerie feeling.

Sasuke glanced over at his friend/brother. He had just recently witnessed his long-term girlfriend whom he cherished and loved get a blade put through her, almost die, and then have to be bitten and changed into a vampire. He could only imagine what he was going through.

"So I guess you are going to become a vampire now, huh?" Sasuke asked. Naruto shrugged.

"Well, yeah, I guess—of course. Doing so, I would get to stay with Hinata _and_ help you out in this war," he said. Sasuke groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"Please don't bring any of that crap up. I don't want to hear about any of it."

"Well, I'm curious as to what your thoughts are on this whole thing. So talk."

Sasuke sighed; running a hand through is hair. "Why do I have to be the 'royal one' or the 'secret weapon'? I never asked for any of this!"

"Life sucks."

"Dido."

There were a few moments of silence. "So . . . you kissed Sakura," Naruto said in a false casual tone. Sasuke's body tensed at the words. His mind flashed back to that short moment at the airport. He remembered how soft her lips were, the way he was filled with her intoxicating scent—

"Yeah, what of it?"

–and how he was left wanting so much more.

"Well, would you look at this?"

Both boys looked up to see Orochimaru and Kabuto coming towards them. They were walking on the lake water!

"Good evening, Sasuke, Naruto," Kabuto greeted. Sasuke and Naruto stood immediately, preparing themselves for another attack. Orochimaru chuckled.

"Oh, look at you two! Such determination is so rare to come by these days," he said.

"Agreed, my lord. The most recent person I've seen such spirit in was Sakura. But no worries, Orochimaru; we won't have to be dealing with her any longer."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he clenched his fists. "What did you do to Sakura?!" Naruto shouted.

"Oh, I just simply gave her the one thing she would _die_ for," Kabuto said smoothly. Sasuke gritted his teeth, doing everything he could to keep himself in control. "Oh, it is such a wonderful sight! Just watching the eyes of the enemy slowly dull and fade of life until—"

_That_ pushed the Uchiha over the edge. He lunged forward, his body imitating that of a lion. The speed he was traveling at sent both him and Kabuto far out into the lake.

"Sasuke!" The blonde watched as his best friend was submerged into the murky waters. He was consumed by fear, but at the same time rage. They killed Sakura—

_'Wait. Sakura's a vampire, so they _couldn't_ have killed her! Right?' _Naruto's mind worked it out instantly. Sakura was far too strong to be destroyed—even by these guys.

Kabuto was bluffing! But why? Yes, to anger Sasuke, get him riled up so that he would be distracted during a fight, giving Kabuto the edge he needed. So what were his deeper intentions?

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by two figures shooting out of the water, Sasuke dropping next to Naruto into a heap on the ground. The soaking wet vampire turned to him. "Why are you just standing there, moron? This guy just killed Sakura!" he shouted. Naruto knelt down to Sasuke's level while keeping a close eye on the enemy.

"Sasuke, they're bluffing," he whispered.

"What?"

"Think about it. Sakura's super strong, and she said it takes a lot to kill an _ordinary_ vampire. I don't think these guys are strong enough to take her down!" he said.

Naruto's reasoning words repeated themselves in Sasuke's head. The rage and hatred in Sasuke's expression dulled to a more calculated anger. He was starting to see the logic in Naruto's words. Then Naruto noticed something odd. Orochimaru's eyes had started to glow in their sickly yellow color. He stared at Sasuke, a smile creeping its way onto his features. After a second, Sasuke turned on Naruto, backhanding him through a tree.

Pain exploded throughout Naruto's body upon impact; he had a pretty good feeling that he had broken some bones. "Sasuke, what is your—" any more words died in his mouth at the sight before him.

The black marks rippling across Sasuke's body and the blood-red eyes.

* * *

**I know it's short! I'm sorry! High school isn't exactly easy, and I've been trying to get my grades up lately. I've also been on writers block for a few months, which isn't good. And my friend Rachel has been forcing some of her books on me (Ink Exchange and Shiver). And the manga has been very depressing lately, which isn't a good thing because now I'm losing my ideas because Kishimoto has stollen them!!!! **

**Next Chapter:**_ Gone_


	25. Gone

_25. Gone_

* * *

"Sasuke?"

Naruto watched with a rising sense of terror as the person he had always considered a brother slowly walked towards him. His eyes were practically bleeding the crimson within them. The marks that were on his skin looked like a permanent tattoo, but they were moving like a hundred snakes going over each other in the grass. There was such a strong killing intent radiating off of him that Naruto unconsciously believed he could actually see it, like an aura of sorts. His best friend's eyes were cold, and showed no mercy, as if Naruto had done him wrong a thousand times over. A sinister smirk came to h is lips.

"Look at you . . . like a deer caught in headlights," he said. "You're scared to death." Naruto didn't miss how his voice sounded so full of darkness and evil—like a real vampire from when they were kids in the old stories they would tell each other.

_'He . . . He's completely lost his mind!'_

"Oh, Sasuke? I'm sorry, dear boy, but we don't have the time for this right now." Sasuke scowled at Orochimaru, who in turn smiled again. "But I promise you, you'll get the chance to kill him some other time."

Sasuke's head tilted back to face Naruto, everything seeming to be in a slow, slightly blurry motion. Naruto began to shake violently when Sasuke gave him a sadistic, blood-thirsty grin. A chill ran up Naruto's spine as he found it harder and harder to breathe.

Before anything else could happen, Sasuke, Orochimaru, and Kabuto jumped into the air and turned, running through the trees, leaving Naruto to himself in the dark, cold and misty forest. The lake and everything around it didn't seem all that peaceful anymore.

_'What the _hell_ just happened?!'_ his mind screamed.

After that it seemed like a struggle just to form a coherent thought. His vision began to spin in and out of clarity, giving Naruto a possible migraine. His head felt heavy, like there was a brick or two tied to it. He wanted to get up and get out of there, but his body only sagged against the thick tree. Naruto felt as if he had no control over his body. His vision blurred again, but this time it went black. And all he could see were the marks that had been slipping across Sasuke's skin going around in circles around him. And all he could hear was the cackling of Orochimaru, surrounding him and filling all of his senses.

Naruto slammed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the horrifying sound echoing in his mind. He wanted to claw his eyes out just to stop seeing everything replaying from the past whatever time it was ago.

In the distance, Naruto could faintly hear a pair of footsteps. The sound was coming from the cavern hole, and Itachi and mike came outside a moment later. The latter spoke first.

"We heard noise—what was going on?" he demanded. After looking around for a moment, Itachi turned his gaze back onto Naruto.

"Where's Sasuke?"

" . . . " When the blonde didn't answer, Itachi began to panic.

"Where is he? Where's my brother?"

He's gone. He left."

* * *

"He _WHAT?!?!?_" Sakura shrieked. Mike winced at the sudden volume.

"Left—with Orochimaru, based on what Naruto told us," he said, ignoring the ringing in his ears.

Sakura, Jiryiah, Sai, and Kiba had arrived at the underground caves four and a half hours after the others. Sakura was still weak from the fight and the torture she received prior to that. But of course that didn't stop her from her next move—she was suddenly stronger.

She grabbed mike by the collar of his button-down shirt and yanked him down to her eye level. Her eyes turned into slits while she glared at him.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked quietly through clenched teeth. With a shaking hand, the man pointed to one of the tunnels leading to some of the other rooms. Sakura uncaringly shoved the man to the side, not even watching as he hit the ground with a grunt.

Sakura stormed down the narrow tunnel, a mix of anger and determination radiating off of her. When she passed some people, they actually pressed themselves against the wall to get as far from the raging woman as possible. Though she didn't care the least bit about what they thought. She was going to get to the bottom of whatever was going on.

Sakura ended up in one of the spare rooms, one of the larger ones. She saw two cots—one with Naruto, and the other, Hinata. While the latter was practically dead to the rest of the world going on around her, the other was quite the opposite.

Naruto was sitting in a slouched position, his hands lying limply in his lap. There was a gauze wrap around his head, along with one on one of his hands and she could guess that he probably had one around his midsection by the way he was slouched. There was dirt and blood matted into his hair and face. His cloths had some minor tears in it.

As Sakura approached him, she noticed how pale he was. His eyes were wide, staring blindly at his lap. His face seemed to be frozen in the look it possessed. Sakura suddenly pitied him.

"Naruto." The boy/man jumped and his eyes focused onto Sakura. "I need to know what all happened. Can you tell me?" she asked softly. She couldn't help but be calm and patient with him. He seemed so fragile. Whatever happened must have been pretty bad to put him through this much of a shock. Sakura noticed how a pained look came into his eyes, though his face didn't change the look it held.

". . ." He took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm himself and grab a sense of composer for himself.

"If you can't tell me at the moment, I could probably wait until—"

"No," he interrupted. Though his voice was just under a whisper, he was heard as clearly as if he had screamed it. His voice was low, and sounded mentally and physically exhausted.

"Naruto, I can wait . . ." Sakura said, trying to make sure he didn't feel forced to say anything yet. Whatever happened was still fresh to him, and she could tell he was his breaking point.

"No," he repeated, though this time a little more firmly. "Sakura I am not too sure what exactly happened out there. But . . . I do know that it wasn't totally . . . normal. And it was a bad thing, also."

Sakura swallowed, preparing herself for the worst.

"Tell me."

* * *

Author's Comments

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! I haven't been too active lately--I'm soooooo sorry! Thing is, with the recent manga being all screwed up lately, I've had a sasusaku-depression (with Sai and his whole "explanation"-if you don't know, you don't really want to. I hate the guy now--he can go die.)

ANYWAY! I am on **Twitter**! my username's fdty94, just like my **Youtube** name. I'll be posting up things about story and video updates.

Does anyone have any ideas for later on in the story? I need some ideas for the third story to this triligy to get me going again. I'm still writing the second part, but I need some deep inspiration. Anything on FF I should read?

Next Chapter!: _Let me Tell You a Story_


	26. Let me Tell You a Story

_26. Let me Tell You a Story . . ._

* * *

"Sasuke and I, as you know, got here at different times. Right when we arrived, we were both informed about this war going on with the vampires." He stopped as Itachi walked into the room.

He had a blank face, no emotion coming through for an observer to see. Even his eyes were whipped of anything that would show what he was feeling. His gait was uncharacteristically slow and he walked forward with the smoothness of a night predator. He came over to the two others conversing, a strange look starting to form in his eyes. He sat down on the floor next to where Sakura was crouched down.

"Keep going," he said. Naruto and Sakura stared at him for a moment with slightly questioning eyes.

'_Man, this is probably going to kill him if it already hasn't,'_ Sakura thought grimly. Naruto nodded before continuing.

"Well, the guys here told us about the war and then the whole prophecy thing about Sasuke becoming a vampire along with all this other stuff. Well, I guess mike was starting to come up with all these plans that thoroughly involved Sasuke's help, and I think Sasuke just needed to think things through a bit more before he could listen to anything else. So I went with him outside."

"So it was his idea to go outside?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Naruto answered with a small nod. "He said he needed some time to think, and so I went with him."

Sakura smacked her head, mumbling something incoherent. "Dumbass . . ."

"What?"

"We've got people trailing us, and he thinks it is okay to be _outside_? While we're in hiding?" Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry to interrupt you Naruto. Please, go on."

After a moment of silence, the blonde man went on. "We were talking for a little while, and then Orochimaru and Kabuto showed up." Itachi's eyes widened. Sakura remained like a statue, no expression visible. "Kabuto said that he killed you, and then went on about how 'wonderful' it was, I think. I wasn't really paying any attention—I was sort of trying to block it all out. Well, Sasuke started to fight him."

"Why?"

"Didn't really like what he was saying, I suppose. And then . . ."

"And then what?" Sakura urged.

"What?" Itachi whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"I saw Orochimaru's eyes turn into this . . . gross-looking goldish-yellow color he gave Sasuke this weird look and then—"

"Stop."

The two men stared at Sakura.

" . . .?"

"I don't need to hear anymore," she said quietly. She stood up and walked briskly towards the door, quickly removing herself from the room.

She could faintly hear Itachi and Naruto still talking about what had happened.

_'So it happened. It actually happened. Sasuke's curse mark has been fully activated._' He mind seethed. She didn't need or want to hear Naruto's description of what Sasuke was going to look like after the smile that Orochimaru have Sasuke. She already knew, having seen it before. It was all part of the technique that the Sannin Vampire had created so long ago.

Sakura remembered the day she had syred Itachi, how just a sliver of the mark's power had been released.

The mark's themselves were frightening enough for anyone to look at. But that wasn't what had freaked Sakura out when Sasuke had let go of some control. No, what had gotten to her was the bloodlust in his eyes and the aura showing murderous intent that had been radiating from him. _That_ was what had terrified her. Sakura had seen things much worse—but she had never felt that kind of hatred and death-wish from someone that she knew as sane.

That moment had terrified her like nothing else had, and like nothing else probably ever will.

As she continued her seemingly-lazy pace through the tunnels, he mind began coming up with all of the things that could possible happen from that point on.

Before this occurred, there were an endless number of paths the future held for Sasuke. A vampire had and endless supply of possibilities because they had the time. If he wanted, he still could have become a psychologist—but for the new vampires. He could have roamed the world and all of the sights and wonders it held for people to see and venture to. He could do anything he wanted to.

But now that Sasuke had joined Orochimaru, there were only about one hundred outcomes to the situation at hand. And for those who knew about the theory of there being another universe for every choice ever made, those people would know that only having one hundred outcomes was very, very bad.

* * *

A lone, spiky-haired vampire walked through the dark and musty halls. The hallway was only lit by one, single flaming torch every ten feet. Water dripped from the nearly-invisible rusty pipes above. The water gave off a foul, unpleasant odor.

He walked up to the large double doors at the very end of the long hallway. The man entered without knocking beforehand. The lighting in the room was darker than that of the hallway outside of it. In the middle of the room was a large chair in which sat an old man.

"Ah, Sasuke; did you need something?"

With slightly narrowed eyes and gaze that was almost cold, he answered:

"When can I start killing people?" His voice was low and gravelly, with a demanding tone to it.

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Soon, boy. Very, very soon. But first, we need to teach you _how_ to kill. Put for now, go back to your quarters until I am ready to train you in the fine art of glorious homicide."

Sasuke turned and exited the room. When he got back to his 'room' and was safe prying eyes and listening ears, he sat down on the bed and sighed. Re rubbed the tingling spot on his neck, hoping the pain wouldn't come any time soon, or ever again.

Wishful thinking, he knew.

The young man fought the urge to punch a hole into the wall. He looked up when a knocking came from the other side of the door.

"What?" he asked coldly. He removed his hand from his neck and sat up straight, with arrogance.

He really didn't like to be bothered.

Kabuto entered, holding a live, shaking human by the arm just above the elbow. "Your dinner, Sasuke," he with a strange look in his eyes while he threw the young woman towards him. She fell to the floor at Sasuke's feet, her legs shaking too much to hold her up. "We do allow our members and guests to play with their food," he stated with a sinister smirk gracing his thin lips.

Kabuto then left the room, the slamming of the door the only thing heard other than the sobs coming from the floor.

Sasuke looked down at the crying woman. Her eyes were fearful and pleading while she looked up at him.

"Please," she whispered. "Don't k-kill me!"

Without changing his face from its blank look, Sasuke put a finger to his lips, noiselessly shushing her. He pulled out a piece of scrap paper and wrote a message on it. He handed it to her.

After she finished reading it, she nodded, her eyes emotionless as her body became still. She walked slowly to the bed on the other side of the room and lowered herself to it, gripping the edges. Sasuke knelt down and leaned over, meeting her gaze. After another nod, he bent down swiftly and bit into her neck, trying to block out her screams.

* * *

**Finally. So I finished typing this entire story; now it's just a matter of posting it. I'm about twelve chapters into the next one (writing, not typing!) so I can't wait to get taht up! So, I hope you all have a happy holidays! Merry Christmas, Kanishmas, Hanaka (I can't spell for shit, I know) and I'm forgetting alot but still, have a happy one! And have a fantabulous New Year! Unless you celebrate Chinese New Year, then I'll say something then, but still! You get the point! **

**So this is the part of the story that ends the first half. Be ready for what's to come, because you won't expect it!**

**Next chapter:** Timeskip!--Eavesdropping


	27. Timeskip Eavesdropping

_27. Timeskip!--Eavesdropping_

**

* * *

**

**FOUR MONTHS LATER . . .**

"Hinata, hurry up!" Sakura shouted up from the bottom of the stairs. Said girl was down a second later in another one of her simple dresses. This one was a shimmery white. Ever since she was "born", she found it much more enjoyable to wear dresses and skirts. The money for all of it came from her parents when she told them that she would be staying in Europe with Naruto. It was the best cover story that the group could come up with that didn't involve her dying.

Hinata smile at Sakura. "Ready!"

The two girls walked out of the large 'cabin'. That was what it looked like from the outside, but inside it was just as modern as any condo unit, but better.

While Hinata wore her white dress, Sakura was still in her faze of wearing dark clothing. She had on a red, skin-tight, long-sleeved shirt; a black semi-mini skirt with a large, fashionable belt; black heels, and a remake of her mother's necklace—a cross. The ends of it angled outward instead of being straight, and had a red diamond in the middle.

The diamond belonged to her mother, but the cross itself was made of a more sturdy metal and other elements to keep it to hold up for another hundred years, at least. It was precious to her; she felt like she needed to have some kind of connection to her past, so this time she chose to have a tribute to her amazing mother.

The two female vampires sprinted off into the forest behind the place that they were currently staying in. While people thought that they were in France, they were in someplace else. They were in the mountains of North America. They were on a search for people in the Sound Organization, and if possible, to find Orochimaru.

And Sasuke.

But for now, they just had to wait for information to come in for them to really get everything going. In the meantime, though . . .

Once they were miles in, they found what they were looking for:

A pack of deer.

After circling the area full of the wild animals a few times, the girls lurched forward, pouncing on their unsuspecting prey. They each grabbed their own deer, both very large. Before anything else, they hit the animal on a pressure point that knocked it unconscious as to make sure that the creature didn't know what was happening instead of having the animal figure out what was really going on and have it go into some type of hysterics and realize it was going to die.

They may be predators, but they refused to be monsters.

It all went by very quickly as they finished off their meal, for there were far more important things to worry about. After a few minutes, both inspected each other for any dirt on their clothing. Blood wasn't an issue, since both were precise and efficient with their hunting.

They raced back out the way they had entered the forest in about thirty seconds tops. With Sakura at the wheel, the two girls drove their car down the mountainside, heading to the city below.

Sakura and Hinata were spending their endless time over in the southern end of the Rockies', waiting for the return of Naruto and Jiryiah. The older Sannin Vampire had taken the blonde on a trip to help him adjust to the new life. There were already very few half-vampires in the world—the chances of one being born were so rare, and always have been. Naruto was the first one to be fully turned. Not only that, but he was syred by the same man that had syred his father.

The new strength, heightened senses, and painful urges for blood and violence were extremely difficult for the young man to handle.

During that time in Naruto's absence, Sakura and Hinata were in the western part of America searching for information on Orochimaru. It was rumored that one of his hideouts were somewhere in the region. While they were searching, Kiba—who was back in France—was gathering information on the evil vampire's plans.

Until they had a significant piece of knowledge, though, there was no way to tell what was going to happen in the near future. A couple of days after Hinata had woken up from the change, she and Sakura—along with a few other people—had learned that Hinata had brought an affinity of herself into the new life:

Seeing into the future.

She could see whatever, being able to choose what she wanted to see—mostly.

This had the thrilled the young woman, knowing she could be a major help in the silent war. Sakura was overly proud of Hinata. she already had such a strong grasp in on her gift, and she wasn't even six months old yet!

As the two girls drove through the lively city, they kept quiet, trying to listen for an abnormal conversation.

"—I head the sale was ending—"

"—Yeah, she told me that he was—"

"—well, she was always a whore, what do you expect?—"

"—dude, they looked like monsters! I mean, their eyes were frickin _red_!"

Both girls heard that little snippet of conversation. Their senses honed in on the voice. It was coming from the other side of a Wal-Mart store across the street a couple of blocks down from where they were. Sakura quickly parked the car and walked nonchalantly beside Hinata towards the conversation behind the building.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! They had red eyes, dude! And their skin was like this real pale color—practically white. Man, I swear I saw fangs, too!"

"What else did they look like?"

"There were two of them—a guy and a girl. Plus, they both looked like they came off of the Red Carpet, or something. I mean, their cloths were that good-looking. The guy had this really white hair—kinda stringy and greasy looking. The chick—dude, she had the best-looking body ever! Long red hair, awesome legs—like, every man's sex dream! But it was weird, though. They had this look that just said that they wanted to tear someone apart—and that they would like it."

The two women quickly made their way around the edge of the building, walking calmly towards the two men talking. They both looked to be in their early twenties, at least. The one talking was holding a cigarette while the other leaned against the wall behind him, his arms crossed over his chest. When they saw Sakura and Hinata, they were stunned by their otherworldly beauty—a trait of any vampire.

As they approached the humans, Sakura gave them a seductive smile. "We could hear you guys talking—"

"—and thought that we might know the people you speak of," Hinata finished.

"Yeah?"

"Well, we were wondering where you saw them and when," Sakura explained.

"Last night at the bar just down the street," he answered, as if in a trance. Sakura gave them a smirk while Hinata smiled.

"Thanks," the female vampires said in unison. They turned and walked back around the building, talking in hushed tones back to the car.

"Sakura, did you do something to that guy? He seemed weird," Hinata commented. Sakura smiled at her close friend.

"That's sort of my gift, Hinata—manipulation. I can will a person to do what I want, whether it be through their mind or through their body. It's usually pretty hard, based on how strong-willed or stubborn a person naturally is," she explained.

"That guy must have been easy to work with then, considering he was pretty distracted." Sakura smirked, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, well, we_ are_ gorgeous!" she said, making her voice sound arrogant and conceited. Hinata laughed out loud at the joke.

Once they were in the car, going down the highway, they began to start the planning. "Hinata, will they be at the club tonight?" Sakura asked. Hinata sat back, relaxing. She waited a moment while looking into the near future.

"Yes. They will arrive right as a security guard is pulling a drunken man out the front door—they will arrive through the side entrance," she said with closed eyes. Sakura nodded, determination in her eyes.

* * *

** Yes! Another chapter up!! I will get to typing more of the sequel soon (unfortunately, I just burned three fingers on my hand and it STINGS!!!!!) This story isn't done yet, there's a little over ten more chapters left and plenty of surprises with it! **

**Also, I need some prompt for the story**_ Crazy Life of the Uchiha Family _**(in case you've forgotten, it's the sequal to Konoha's Cherry Blossom). I've been sort of stuck with that, and I'd like some ideas on what you guys want to see happen with that family.**

**NEXT CHAPTER!: **_Calling for Backup_


	28. Calling for Backup

_28. Calling for Backup_

* * *

Sakura quickly pulled out her phone and dialed. After a few rings, a man with a deep voice answered. "Hello?"

"Fuad, do you still run enemy profiles?" she asked calmly, but with a serious undertone. There was a chuckle from the other line.

"Not officially, of course," he answered. Sakura smirked.

"Of course. Okay, well I have two descriptions for you—they're a bit vague, though." She heard some computer beeps and then him cracking his knuckles.

"Give me what you got, Sakura."

"Okay; male and female—"

"Partners, or no?" he asked quickly.

"Probably, though I can't say for sure. The guy is supposed to have white hair, greasy-looking, I guess. The girl is attractive with red hair," she concluded, remembering what she'd heard earlier.

"Anything else?"

"No. Can you work with that?" she asked.

"I'll see what I can do—just wait a moment."

"Yup." There were a few minutes of some clicking and a few beeps. After another moment, Fuad gave her what he knew.

"Okay, I think I got it." At this point, Sakura turned on speaker phone so that Hinata could hear also. "These two are Suigetsu and Karin. They work together under Orochimaru," he informed. And this both Hinata and Sakura started to listen much more intently to pick up everything that they could. "Karin is one of his lead scientists. She's been working on experiments for him for a couple hundred years. The male is a top assassin. Both are highly skilled and deadly, so if you're going to try and pursue them, Sakura, I would highly suggest that you call up some back up. Don't go and get all cocky like you did last time you ran into guys this tough," Fuad advised. "Is that your purpose?"

"Yes, it is."

"Good luck, kid. Don't get yourself killed," he said.

"I won't. And I'll do my best; thanks." She said, and then closed the phone.

"They work for Orochimaru," Hinata stated. Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, and it seem like they are major pieces in this game he's got going. Which means that if we find them—"

"We have a better chance of finding Orochimaru."

"And Sasuke," Sakura concluded, her eyes narrowing. She handed her phone to Hinata. "Call Itachi and Tiashi for back up," she said. "Don't tell them everything; just that they need to be here before eight tonight." Her mind then immediately wandered to her dark-haired friend. She hadn't seen the young man in four months, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing.

* * *

Block. Kick. Sidestep. Uppercut.

"You're doing very well, Sasuke Uchiha," stated Kimimaru while catching his breath. "You are very good. Once you acquire the sharingan, you will truly have an edge." Sasuke stood across the field from the older vampire. "This will be all that I will teach you for today." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"No. You will teach me more," the young Uchiha demanded. Kimimaru simply shook his head while walking out of the large clearing in the forest.

"Kids these days . . ." he muttered.

Sasuke waited until he was long gone. He tilted back and fell onto the soft grass, lying on his back, arms and legs spread out as if he were about to make a snow-angel. The meadow was surrounded by deep forest on three sides; the fourth side was a cliff with a waterfall coming down it and into the pond bellow. The scenery was like something in a fairytail. The water as a clear blue, and the plants were a lush green.

A very familiar green . . .

* * *

"Hinata, when will they be here?"

"Right now."

There was a knocking on the front door from downstairs, where Sakura and Hinata could hear from Sakura's room above. One of the other people living in the large cabin-like house went and answered it. The two girls heard as he directed Itachi and Tiashi to Sakura's bedroom. The door opened and they entered, closing it again.

Tiashi was wearing a tight T-shirt with a band logo, a cami underneath, and short denim shorts. Itachi wore his ordinary T-shirt and jeans. Sakura noticed that Tiashi had cut her light blonde hair. It now hung a little above her shoulders, its natural straightness making it look flat and neat.

Itachi and Tiashi probably had the craziest and yet closest (besides Naruto and Hinata's) relationship Sakura had ever seen. It started when Itachi was a spy in Akatsuki, and they had been seeing each other around then. They had begun to talk and soon formed a close bond based off of trust. They had come closer than over and started to see each other more. They had even slept together; in the literal term and in the way that suggested specific activities.

Itachi had left then because of complications with the organization—they had believed that he had died on a mission he was given. The two vampires were reunited when Sakura had sent the group back to America. She wanted only Tiashi to hide them because of the fact that no one knew where her house was besides a select few, and she wanted her to know that Itachi was okay. Since then, they had been _trying_ to work and sort things out between them.

They were north and south with each other and fought constantly. That was what happened when you put two very stubborn people together. But a person couldn't deny that they were closer than ever before. They were definitely made for each other. Of that, Sakura was sure.

As they walked into the room, they glanced at both girls curiously.

"Hinata said we were needed immediately. What's up?" Tiashi asked as if it were nothing special.

"We're going on a little mission," Sakura answered, her voice tight with monotone. Itachi's brow furrowed slightly.

"What's going on?" he asked, his tone just slightly tinged with worry. Sakura glanced at the man before her. she wondered what his reaction would be when she told him that they could potentially receive information leading them to where his only brother might be. She shifted her gaze to Hinata, who gave the tiniest of nods of encouragement. Sakura then met the curious stares of Itachi and Tiashi head-on.

"We're going to meet people that work directly under our old friend, Orochimaru."

* * *

**PLEASE READ.**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated recently, but this is something you all need to read. On Thursday morning, my friend since elementary was hit by a speed SUV and killed while crossing the street to her bus stop. The bus was there with the sign out and the woman wasn't paying attention. The driver was an old woman in her 60's who was going 50mph and had looked down at her ringing cell in her lap. Guys, if you drive, please do me and everyone else a favor--IF YOU'RE DRIVING, AND YOUR CELL IS RINGING, PAY NO ATTENTION TO IT. If you have to answer it, just pull over out of everyone else's way. Even better, don't have your phone on--keep it on silent or something. My friend, a girl whom everyone liked, is no longer here because someone decided that a phone call was more important than a busy road. Please, Please just do your part and ignore your cell phones while on the road.**


	29. Operation: Kidnap

_29. Operation: Kidnap_

* * *

Sakura and Hinata eyed Itachi cautiously as his whole being froze on the spot. His eyes faded from their curiosity to nothing in them at all. And then, slowly, determination and anger radiated off of him. Tiashi took his hand in her own, running her thumb over the back of his knuckles in a soothing manner. After taking a deep breath, Itachi nodded to Sakura, telling her that it was okay to continue.

"There are two of them—Karin and Suigetsu. Hinata and I heard from two of the locals that they were seen in a bar and club downtown. They will be there tonight, based on what Hinata saw. What we are going to do is go and meet them tonight and kidnap them for interrogation."

"Let's do this!"

"Hang on, Itachi," Sakura said quickly. "These guys aren't you run of the mill vampires. Not even by _my_ standards. They work for Orochimaru, remember? They have powerful gifts, but what those gifts happen to be exactly is still in the dark. It's been said that the only people to have witness what those two can do have not lived to tell the story."

"So they are an extremely powerful pair," Tiashi said, summing it up. Sakura nodded.

"But they are also smart—book _and_ street," Sakura informed. "So getting them outside is going to up to you three," she said. When they all gave her questioning looks, she continued. "I'm the only apprentice of Tsunade, and I've been around for over eleven-hundred years. I'm well-known in almost _every_ vampire community in the world." After glancing at the group before her, she put it in basic terms. "I can't lure them out because they will recognize me and know that something is up," she explained.

After a moment of silence, Itachi snapped his fingers, grabbing everyone's attention. "I've got a plan. So they recognize you, but not us, right? Right. If the three of us can just figure out a way to lure them outside, the four of us together—"

"—plus some others who might help—" Tiashi added.

"—can easily capture them!" Itachi finished.

Sakura stared at him, her eye twitching. Didn't she just imply that exact idea? "Itachi."

"Yes?"

"That was going to be the plan from the beginning, had you read between the lines."

"It was?"

"Yes. And you're idiot."

"But I came up with it!"

"Okay then, super-genius. Answer this: what's your plan of action on luring them outside?"

Instead, it was Tiashi who answered to question. Best not to make Itachi look like a complete fool . . .

"Seduction."

* * *

Hinata, Tiashi, and Itachi walked into the dark club, seeming nonchalant. The group had already gone over the entire plan at least twice before arriving.

Tiashi and Hinata would convince Suigetsu to go outside with them, which would separate him from Karin. When Karin realizes that her partner is missing, she'll have to go and look for him. When that happens, Itachi will find Karin, which won't be hard—he will be trailing her every move.

And after that, basic street-fight comes into play.

The three vampires gave a small nod to each other and then separated to different sides of the club. Scaling the club, Hinata and Tiashi spotted the duo and waited for them to separate for a moment while Karin went and got a drink for herself. "I thought we couldn't eat or drink?" Hinata asked below a whisper.

"After some time, you can eat without it tasting bad," came the almost inaudible reply.

It was already agreed that Tiashi would do the more "hands-on" seduction—without Itachi's knowing—Hinata said she wanted to save her flirting side for Naruto. They saw Karin's back turned, and they took their chance.

With Tiashi in the lead, they both strutted down over to the male vampire. He noticed them approach and the two girls smirked flirtatiously, feeling satisfied when his eyes filled with a sense of lust.

"Hey, hot stuff," Tiashi greeted coolly, her voice low and sensuous. Suigetsu smirked as his eyes traveled over their scantly-clad bodies.

"Well, what brings you two lovely women like yourselves to a place like this?"

"We came looking for some fun. You seemed like the kind of guy to know that kind of fun," Hinata answered, her voice smooth and sexy with practice.

"Well, you have come to the right guy."

* * *

Itachi watched as Karin got closer to where he was. When she was close enough, he pushed his body off of the wall he was leaning against and sauntered over to where she was, giving her his famous "Uchiha Smirk". He kept his movements careful and not as languid as they usually would be. He had a feeling this woman would be able to tell the difference between vampire and human.

"Hello, beautiful," he whispered seductively in her ear, letting his hot breath fan it lightly. He felt her body shiver slightly, and he smirked.

Karin gazed up at him, placing a hand on his chest. Slowly, she let that hand trail lightly down his body. She gave him a sultry smile of her own.

"Hey."

* * *

"I know this great place we can go to."

The girls giggled while nodding their heads at his idea. The trio stood—Suigetsu in the middle—and headed towards the exit of the club. Two hands maneuvered themselves down to grope the woman's rears, giving both a firm squeeze. Hinata fought down the urge to gag as she watched from the corner of her eye as Tiashi slowly inserted her hand into the front of the man's waistband of his jeans.

They walked outside and past the burly bouncer at the back door. The silent, cold air of the night surrounded them.

"So, do you ladies want to—AH!!!"

Out of nowhere, a man pounced on Suigetsu, knocking him fully to the ground. The stranger held Suigetsu's arms firmly crossed behind his back while he shoved his knee into his back.

"Hey, what's going on here?!" he yelled.

Then, out of the shadows that covered the night, more people emerged into the light for the others to see. It was Itachi and Sakura keeping a firm grip on a pissed and struggling Karin.

"Tiashi, take my place—I'm going to have to help out with _that_ one," Sakura ordered. The women switched places; Sakura walked over to Suigetsu, grabbing him firmly by the chin when she was in front of him. She smirked down at him. He gasped.

"You!"

"Yes, me. Who did you think it was?"

* * *

**Okay, so I realize that the chapters are kinda short. But I don't exactly base them off of length. More like what happens in each chapter--i'm trying to find good stopping places in the story to where everything will make sense while you're reading (like, it doesn't start and stop at random parts) and so that every chapter is about the same length (like having one really long one and then less than half its size). Also, telling me to 'PLEASE UPDATE!!!!!' won't make me update faster. I WILL KEEP UPDATING, I DON'T NEED PEOPLE DEMANDING IT OUT OF ME. So, yeah.**

**By the way, can anyone guess who the mystery man is? You won't believe it! ;)**

**Next chapter!:**_ Orochirmaru's Fury_


	30. Orochimaru's Furry

_30. Orochimaru's Furry_

* * *

"Tell me, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked Suigetsu, still holding him by the chin. Her voice was calm and patient. She knew she had everything under her control.

"As if we would tell you!" Karin spat defiantly.

She grunted when Tiashi collided her fist against the woman's cranium, forcing her to be quiet. "Don't speak out of turn," the blonde whispered. "It might be the end of you. So I suggest that you not talk, got it?"

"Only speak if questioned," Sakura ordered.

"They're here looking for you, Sakura."

Everyone looked at Itachi with a confused expression except Tiashi, who explained.

"It's sort of his gift—he can guess deep intentions of a person—I'll explain more later," she said. Sakura nodded, and then looked back down at the captive in front of her. His face was contorted in anger and hatred and fear.

"Why are you after me? Did Orochimaru send you to do this?" she asked, her voice hard and cold.

"I don't know! We got a letter saying that if we caught you, we'd get paid big! I don't know who wanted us to do it!" he shouted when the hooded man above him twisted his arms across each other painfully. Suigetsu gritted his teeth in discomfort, ready for the whole thing to be over. Though, he was smart enough to know that that was only wishful thinking.

After a moment of gazing at him intently, Sakura pulled out a knife. She twisted it slowly, letting the moonlight glint off it menacingly. The tip of it glinted with power. "Do you know what kind of blade this is, Suigetsu?" she asked softly.

" . . . "The man stared at her blankly with narrowed eyes. She decided to answer for him.

"It is very special—I designed it myself, you know. Did you know that when a vampire reaches a certain age, they are able to be cut with certain types of metal?—not wood; that's silly. But with a few types of metal, we can be cut so easily. I'm sure by now you know that if a vampire looses too much blood, or has too much of another's in them, they can die.

"This knife is a mixture of sliver and aluminum—a strange combination, I know. But it does wonders against a vampire's skin. Would you like to see for yourself?"

Sakura lowered the tip of the blade to rest against Suigetsu's cheek. She ran it lightly across it, watching as blood welled up at the cut. It looked almost purple in the moonlight. "That doesn't hurt," he bit out, his left eye twitching slightly. Sakura watched as his gaze shifted ever so slightly away from her. She smirked subtly.

"Oh, really?"

Sakura drew the knife along his chest and arms, creating shallow cuts that bled his blue blood. She went over to Tiashi and did the same to Karin. The others watched in wonder as the captives ceased their struggling and became limp, weakened. Sakura nodded at everyone—Itachi, Tiashi, Hinata, and the masked stranger—signaling them to head out.

The vampires used their speed to carry the Sound Vampires back to the place that Sakura and Hinata were staying at as fast as possible. When they arrived, they took them to the basement where there were steel chairs and more pointy mysterious objects.

Karin and Suigetsu were strapped and locked firmly into the chairs. Once they were restrained, Sakura drew a few more semi-deep cuts along their bodies.

"Sakura, why can't vampires have too little blood? I always thought that they didn't need it," Hinata asked, and a couple of the others were wondering the same thing. Sakura put the blade back in its sheath before answering.

"It actually depends on the type of vampire you are and how old you are. For pretty much all vampire species, if you're extremely young, you need as much blood to survive because your body is still going through the changing process. Then there are two main categories—Carnivores and Vegetarians."

"Human blood and animal blood?" Itachi guessed. Sakura nodded as they began walking upstairs.

"Yeah. All vampires need to have oxygen in their system, even if we don't need to breathe it. For some reason, our bodies can take more of it out of human blood, but it's still good getting it from animal blood. But the difference is that if you get your oxygen supply from humans, you need a lot more of you vampire venom to survive. If you don't have enough, you die. Of you have so much that it over-does that ratio of venom to blood, than you will die. There has to be a specific balance between the two, no matter what vampire you are. And then how much venom we have in our system affects how much strength we have—like people with how much water they have in their bodies. You could be the strongest vampire ever, but you don't have very much venom in your body, the weakest vampire could kill you. In a way, the same goes for how much oxygen we have."

"So does that mean that one type of vampire is stronger than the other?" Itachi asked.

"No," Tiashi answered. "Strength depends on both venom and oxygen and when the balance is perfect. Since both types need a balance, not one will be stronger than the other if the balance ratio is the same."

"Okay, so I get that," Hinata said, "but you gave them cuts before we got here—why'd you do it again? Won't that just kill them by draining them of their venom?"

"No, because venom regenerates much faster than blood regenerates in a human. If the average human were to give two cups of blood of blood in a Blood Drive, it normally takes about three to six days for the body to regenerate that blood—or so, from the last time that I checked. It only takes a few hours at the most for a vampire to regain half of what they should have—believe me, that's fast," Tiashi explained.

A man then walked into the room, nodding to Sakura. She handed him the blade and then motioned for the others to follow her upstairs to her bedroom. "We can't start the interrogation without a couple other people who are better qualified for it. They won't be here for another few hours." Once everyone was sitting somewhere or leaning against something, Tiashi stared at the hooded man standing by the closed door.

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" she asked. Everyone watched as he removed his hood, revealing who he really was.

"Naruto!"

Hinata sprung up and flew into his arms, pressing her face into his chest. Naruto wrapped his arms securely around Hinata's form, holding her in a tight embrace. He kissed the top of her head softly, inhaling her scent.

"Did Jiryiah come here with you?" Sakura asked.

"No, he has to speak with Tsunade about a few things. But I think he'll be here in about a week or two."

"Okay. Well, it'll be a short while until interrogation starts after people arrive. So what all have you been up to?"

* * *

"_What?!_"

Kabuto ducked, his head just missing what shattered on the wall behind him. He glanced back up at the enraged Orochimaru, smoke practically coming out of his ears, his eyes shining crimson from rage. Kabuto still wondered why the Uchiha's eyes didn't so much as even flicker at the older vampire's sudden outburst.

"What do you mean they've been captured?!" he screamed.

"Karin and Suigetsu were captured by Sakura and her companions. We just received the call from the vamp watching from the club window," Kabuto replied carefully. He watched in caution as Orochimaru's body suddenly went stiff and then relaxed. A sinister smile crept onto his pale lips as a dark chuckle was heard. He nearly shook with excitement at the plan formulating in his mind.

"There is no need to worry." He turned to the vampire beside him. He motioned to someone off in the shadows to come forward. A large man appeared, his eyes blank yet dark, his skin paler than most.

"Juugo, I have a task for you."

* * *

**Yep, another chapter! Sorry, not much going on in this one, but that's life--can't have excitement all the time, right? And just so people know: I know this story is supposed to be SasuSaku, but remember that it is in a series, and I'm not going to make like half the other sasusaku stories on this cite where it's big-time love at first sight. I want it to be a bit more realistic. **

**Also, the story is going to end soon. But I've already gotten pretty far into the sequel, so don't worry!**

**DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY PROMPTS FOR **_THE CRAZY LIFE OF THE UCHIHA FAMILY_**? I want to continue it, but I don't have any ideas.**

**NEXT CHAPTER! **_Bonded_


	31. Bonded

_31. Bonded_

* * *

"Is it just me, or are they _trying_ to be obvious?" Sakura looked from her book to stare at Naruto, confused. His arms shot up, waving them at the front door of the multi-bedroom building. "Oh, like you guys haven't noticed? Itachi and Tiashi!" he said loudly. He didn't have to worry about the vampire couple overhearing, considering they left to go out twenty minutes ago.

"What about them, hon?" Hinata inquired.

"They're having sex!" he practically shouted. Sakura sighed and closed her novel, setting it down on the table beside her.

"Naruto, there are times where I believe you are completely moronic," she said bluntly.

"What?" Hinata placed her hand on her boyfriend's arm

"Naruto, I don't think it matters if they do it or not. And besides, they live here with us. If they were doing such activities, we'd know."

"She's right, Naruto. It is impossible to make sex quiet enough for a vampire _not_ to hear it."

"I never said they did it at night! What do you think they do when the "go to town"? Go to the park with a coffee to go?" he asked sarcastically. Sakura stood.

"We can go on about this all day. They've done it, yes. Have they had sex since they got here? No." Naruto stood, also.

"Oh, yeah? How much do you wanna—?"

He was interrupted by the phone ringing, the caller ID being Itachi's cell number. Sakura picked up it up, putting the phone on speaker.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked casually.

Instead of a normal answer from the man, there was another sound that they didn't expect. Labored breathing with some choking sounds. In the background they could hear smashing and shouts and curses, like a major brawl.

"Sound ninja . . . he's freaking huge, sakura! He just came up . . . and started attacking us—_TIASHI!!!_"

And the line went dead.

"I don't know about you ladies, but I have a really bad feeling about this."

Just then, there was a high-pitched sound that seemed to come from within the house, but was only directed in the one room that they were in. The sound got louder and higher and the glass in the room slowly began to crack in different directions. Before Sakura could gain any control over anything in the room with her mind, the glass and all of the windows in the room blasted, thousands of shards of glass charging towards the vampires at an unnatural speed.

Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto fell to the ground, their arms covering their heads in an attempt to protect themselves. When nothing else in the room was flying around, they stood and looked around to find the source of the damage. At the entrance that led to the hallway which lead to the basement stood Karin and Suigetsu. The female strutted forward a bit, clicking her tongue and shaking her head back and forth.

"Oh, now this just won't do. The fight isn't going to be very fun if you are all just standing there like the idiots you are," she said in a fake-sweet voice. Her eyes were narrowed at them and she had a devilish smirk on her crimson lips.

Sakura, Naruto and Hinata slowly moved into fighting stances, their eyes never once leaving the bodies of the two Sound Vampires that were standing across from them. Before anyone else could move, Hinata quickly lurched forward and yanked her two friends back so that they were against. Half a second later, someone charged through the sindow, making a slightly larger hole in the wall that there already was.

When he landed in the exact point that Sakura had just been standing in, she swore that she saw dents in the vampire-proof floor.

_'Well, this isn't going to end very well.'_

* * *

"Hey!" Kabuto shouted at the red-headed woman. "Who are you?" he demanded. She stopped and turned, giving the man a blank stare. Upon getting closer, Kabuto began to recognize the woman. "You're the one I gave to Sasuke months ago as a welcome present."

" . . . Yes. And now I must return to Lord Sasuke," she said and started back down the hallway. Kabuto decided to follow her, though.

"So then he turned you. Why?" he asked with a smile. She said nothing and didn't even acknowledge him. "Is he using you as a sex toy?" he asked bluntly. The woman did everything that she could to conceal her disgust.

"Yes."

The man stopped, that smile still on his face.

"Interesting."

The red-headed beauty continued her trek down the musty hallways in the clammy, underground base. She soon came to the door of her master; after knocking, she walked in. at first in seemed as if the room was empty except for the one candle lit on the bedside table. But the then door behind he swung closed, and a tall, dark figure stepped from the shadowed corner of the Spartan-like room. The woman immediately got down on one knee and dipped her head down low, as if worshipping the man.

"Don't bow down to me, Suki. You know very well that I hate formalities and anything of the such," Sasuke said coldly. Suki stood, keeping on her mask of indifference.

"I have news," she whispered as quietly as possible.

Though the walls were thick, they still had ears.

Sasuke moved closer to hear her better without anyone else being able to. "And?"

"Orochimaru has sent Juugo after Sakura and her companions. Believe that they are fighting as we speak," she informed. Sasuke thought about this. That meant that they weren't very far. The young Uchiha briskly walked to his desk and pulled two syringes of vampire venom. One of her's and one of his. He handed her his own.

"Inject this into your system," he ordered. When she complied, he did the same, but with her vampire venom. A few seconds later, a sensation like no other was charging through the both of them. Suki stared with wide eyes at Sasuke. "Go. Keep an eye on them. If you must communicate with me, think it, and your thought will be in my mind. And vice versa. This will only last for about eight to ten weeks or so, so be quick, so be quick. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

* * *

**Yeah, it's been a while... Truthfully, I haven't been writing much lately. Like, at all. And I'm trying to get back into it, but it's te problem with this story's sequel. I think it might ruin the entire trilogy because that's what sequels do. I'll still post and write and everything, but I'm sort of stuck at the moment.**

**I PROMISE THESE CHAPTERS WILL GET LONGER!!!! Hard to believe, right? Well, they WILL!!!!!**

Next chatper!: Attacked

**Auf Wiedersein!**


	32. Attacked

No, it's not any longer**. _I NEED EVERYONE TO READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END_!**

* * *

_32. Attacked_

* * *

Sakura stared _up_ at the huge vampire. By the tint of red in his eyes, Sakura could assume that he had not fed off of anything lately. Ergo, he was going to be in a murderous sate very, very soon. Sakura noticed that his muscles had almost doubled since the last time she saw him over one thousand years ago. And by his new size, that was _not_ a good thing for him to be angry.

Suigetsu chuckled darkly at the look on their faces, especially Sakura's.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my ole pal, Juugo," he said, introducing them as if they were simply at some friendly gathering. "He's a very personal creation of Lord Orochimaru's," he said coolly. Juugo eyed Sakura up and down. The look in his eyes made Sakura think that he wanted to eat her.

Ew.

Suddenly he looked up at a spot above and behind Sakura and growled ferociously at it. Sakura and the other two cautiously took a glance behind them to see Tiashi and Itachi jump through the smashed window that was behind them. Naruto quickly turned his head back forward to keep a close eye on the dangerous people in front of them.

Just seeing them up and about made Sakura and Hinata sigh in relief after not knowing what had happened to them. The two were really a sight to see as they stood in the window, the sun's rays behind them. Itachi looked as if he was thrown around like an old ragdoll and had a scab on venom on his left cheek from being sliced.

Tiashi looked a heck of a lot worse than her boyfriend. Her chin-length blonde hair was tangled with dirt and vampire blood matted into it. Her bottom lip was swollen on the right side and was cut. Sakura and Hinata also noticed with a jolt of shock and fear that there was a giant and deep gash on her abdomen, showing through her shredded shirt. Venom was slowly seeping out of it, staining her cloths a silvery-blue color in several areas. The woman glared at Juugo.

"Yeah, that's right! I'm not through with you, _fatass_!" she screamed with rage. Everyone sweatdropped at her comment and attitude.

When Juugo growled with rage, murderous intent written on his face, Tiashi shocked everyone, especially Itachi.

She lowered her body into a semi crouch, her arms bent out. Her lips pulled back against her teeth and turned into a nasty and feral snarl and produced out a hissing sound that rivaled Juugo's to the most extreme point.

At that, everyone was in the same crouched position as she was, ready and poised to attack. _'Why does everyone have to be gone today?'_ Sakura wondered angrily.

"Itachi, Naruto and Hinata! You all take out Karin and her man-whore. Tiashi and I will take on the beast!" Sakura commanded. Without being signaled to do so, the group jumped out of the building and into separate, desolate parts of the mountains, leading the enemy away from any civilization. When Sakura and Tiashi stopped and faced Juugo, they were both ready for a good fight.

All three vampires crouched down and after a small second, leapt into the air.

"Do you three wimps honestly believe that you can beat _us_?" Karin called from where she stood. Suigetsu was standing behind her; arms around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder, glaring at the opponents.

"I say we take them, babe," he whispered against her neck.

As Hinata watched them with a careful eye, she came to some important conclusions.

First, they were breathtakingly beautiful—even for vampires. After meeting hundreds of her new kind, Hinata had very quickly learned that like with humans, vampires had their 'pretty people' group as well with the 'non-pretty people' group. She supposed that it was like that with every society, no matter who you were or how you were raised. Some would be higher up the food chain than others. And Karin and Suigetsu were pretty high up the scale.

But then again, so was the group that was made up of Hinata and her closest friends. So she figured that it would be an interesting battle. But maybe not a battle based off of their physical abilities. If nothing else, Hinata had learned how to skillfully use psychological warfare to the extreme.

Karin ad Suigetsu were beautiful—a trait of all vampires. Together, they looked like the perfect couple. One that was made from Hollywood thriller movies. But there was another characteristic that the two Sound vampires shared. A trait that almost every vampire who worked for Orochimaru would have.

After a quick look into the very near future, Hinata discreetly jumped into action.

The Hyuga woman snorted rather unladylike and shook her head, gazing at the two as if they were incredibly stupid. Karin shot her a glare that would send most cowering in fear. Most.

"What?" she snapped. Hinata did indeed jump a little, slightly surprised by the power behind Karin's exclamation. She merely shrugged.

"Oh, well, I was just thinking that, in a weird and not-too-sensible way, you two are actually perfect for each other." When _everyone_ gave the dark-haired woman a questioning star, she decided to continue. "Well, I mean, considering he's a total man-whore and you don't even know it," she said with a casual shrug. "It's really surprising, but considering your type and everything, I guess it works."

The glare that was already on the Hyuga woman was so greatly intensified by both Karin and Suigetsu.

"Baby, whatever you do, don't listen or believe a word that the little troll says," the man growled. Hinata gave him a questioning look.

"Troll? That's not what you called us before." Hinata turned her calm gaze to the red-headed beauty. "When Tiashi and I had to get him out of the club, all he was doing was feeling us up ad talking about an idea of taking us to this "great place" that he knew of," she said.

Completely forgetting about Suigetsu, Karin flung her body at Hinata in a fierce animalistic way. Right before the impact that Hinata was expecting, Karin was knocked to the side by Naruto. The woman flew through a couple of thick tree trunks, thankfully not forcing them down completely, only damaging them.

She slowly stood back up, feeling a little tingle in her back. Naruto walked forward and stood partially in front Hinata. He gave Karin a hard, cold stare.

"You wanna try that again?" he asked, feigning calm.

* * *

**I'm still here! So, since school is almost out, I'll be able to start typing and writing again (hopefully). **

**So, I'm doing this thing for each story in this triligy where I have a playlist that goes along with the story. I have some songs already, but if you guys can think of a good song that goes with a certain chapter or moment in this story, I'd like to hear what your suggestions are and add them to the list. It will be posted at the end of the story.**

**Next chapter!: **33. Deathly Farewell


	33. Deathly Fairwell

**Disclaimer: Yeah . . . no. :/**__

* * *

Sakura held her hand firmly to her shoulder, hoping that her venom would quickly cease from oozing out of the gash that was made by her and Tiashi's opponent. Tiashi knelt close to her, supporting new wounds, also.

"Sakura," she whispered. "I know the two of you were once very close long ago. But you have to shove those thoughts and memories out of your head," she said, her voice holding a strange calm. She felt Tiashi lay a hand on her good shoulder. "It's not really him, Sakura. The man you knew . . . he's gone. This is just a monster that Orochimaru created—one that looks like Juugo. You have to know that," she said.

Sakura closed her eyes, squeezing them tight. She allowed one, final memory to pass through her troubled mind.

"_Juugo!" The pink-haired woman jumped up, throwing her arms around the wide shoulders from behind. The large man laughed lightly, removing the tiny, frail woman from him and placing her back on the ground. Sakura gazed up at him, giving him a cute little put. "_

"_What's wrong, Sakura?"_

"_Why can't I ever surprise?" she asked. Juugo smiled sadly._

"_You know why. I am a creature of the night—a vampire. We have very strong senses. Hence forth, I can always tell when you are nearby—you have a distinct perfume," he said with a chuckle. The sixteen-year-old woman grinned._

"_Please tell me, what else is it that you can do?"_

_Suddenly, Juugo lifted her petite form off of the ground and placed her on a thick, low branch in the Sakura tree they were standing by. The young woman laughed freely, not at all like the proper chuckle that she was taught. Her voice was beautiful in Juugo's ears. As he thought about it, everything about her was beautiful. She was so lively, her personality making him feel . . . different. Better. She was his only light. _

"_That was absolutely marvelous!" she said with a giggle, gazing down at her friend in awe. _

_They became silent, listening to the music of the nature around them and enjoying each other's presence. Juugo them noticed that Sakura's hands were fiddling with the skirt of her blue, elegant dress._

"_Is there something troubling you, Princess?" he asked, worry lazed into his words. A second later, Sakura smiled at him with reassurance._

"_No, there is nothing. I was simply thinking. And I do ask that you would please drop the formal title—you are much closer than anyone else and I want to just be me around you, not the princess."_

"_As you wish. Now, may you tell me what it is you were thinking about?" he asked patiently. He was always so patient with her._

"_Well, I have been thinking about this for a long time now. Juugo, I wish to become a vampire. A good one, exactly like you!" she stated firmly, determination set deep into her eyes. _

_Juugo's eyes widened, staring at the noble woman in the tree. His expression then turned somber._

"_Despite what you may think, or any preconceptions you may have about me, Sakura, there is not one vampire in this world who is completely free from evil. We all have darkness within us, for it is the price to pay," he said quietly. Sakura looked down for a moment, thinking about his serious words. Her head then shot up._

"_Then I shall pay the price," she said, matching his serious tone with her own. He gazed at her, slightly shocked. "You are my best friend, Juugo. I wish for us to remain like this forever—" she grabbed his hand with her smaller one "—and we will," she said softly. _

_Juugo looked up at Sakura—this wonderful woman who had changed everything he believed in—and he gave her a smile of his own._

"_I like the sound of that."_

Sakura's eyes reopened, revealing green, but with a golden glow. She stood up, facing the empty shell that was once her most precious friend.

"Do what's right, Sakura," Tiashi whispered.

After a subtle nod, Sakura leapt in the air, her body forming a graceful arch as she came down. Her eyes narrowed in deep concentration as she willed her opponents body to remain perfectly still. When she reached him, her arms shot out, hands gripping separate sections of the body, and moved her arms as far from each other as possible. There was a sickening ripping sound and a shriek of agony that seemed to travel around the mountains. Sakura forcefully continued the brutal process, throwing the disembodied parts into the raging fire that Tiashi had made.

Before she knew it, there was nothing left except the buckets-amount of venom sprayed everywhere on the ground and the two girls. As Sakura looked at the pool of blue vampire blood at her feet, her head began to swim from mental stress. Tiashi walked over to Sakura and placed a hand on her shoulder. The blonde woman noticed tears flowing from the soft green eyes.

"Sakura . . .?"

Said woman raised her head upwards, gazing at the orange and blue sky of the on-coming night.

"He smiled . . . Juugo . . . just then, when I looked at his face before I tossed it to you . . . there was a calm and happy smile on it."

* * *

"Looks like Sakura and Tiashi finished up, also," Naruto declared, staring out at the small smoke stack on the other edge of. The three victorious vampires continued tossing dirt where their fire had been. They also swept the blood-soaked dirt out into a hole before refilling it, so that the area looked as if nothing had ever happened.

They had defeated the Sound Vampire duo by getting Karin so angry that she wasn't able to think rationally—the trait of any Sound Vamp: anger issues. That one mistake on her part made her the first to go, since she wasn't listening to the orders of her teammate. From that point on, the rest of the battle truly couldn't be called a battle at all. Suigetsu, without having someone calling the shots for him, could only throw around his fist like an incompetent monkey he was.

Itachi began to chuckle, earning him a couple questioning looks from the other two. "Just imagin what Orochimaru's going to do when he hears about this."

* * *

"Sasuke."

Said man looked up, seeing the dark-haired Sannin Vampire standing before him. The older man licked his lips while grinning. "Sasuke, are you ready for the killing?" he asked slowly.

The Uchiha sat up straighter, excitement forming in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

**Alrighty! So, this is very late. It was GOING to be posted last week. But I lost my journal (with everything in it that isn't typed) and I got kinda angry about that . . . BUT EVERYTHING IS BETTER NOW! :D IMPORTANT QUESTION! Is anyone getting tired of this story? I really don't want to drop the entire trilogy, but as many of you know, the whole concept of vampires is being overdone nowadays. So, I was just wondering. Because I could put everything on hold and work on other stuff until people would like to read this again, or just keep going-It all depends on what you guys want! I WILL be posting new stuff soon! Such as **DARKEST POWERS!** (Derek FTW!)**

**Soooo . . . yeah.**

**NEXT CHAPTER:** _The Visitor_

* * *

33. Deathly Fairwell


	34. The Visitor

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, right.**

* * *

_34. The Visitor_

* * *

"Hey, Sakura?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Is this venom stuff ever going to come out of my clothes?"

"Naruto, you are truly a blonde pansy-ass."

"Is there something wrong with blondes, honey?"

". . . No?"

Tiashi smirked. "That's what I thought."

The group of five walked through the trees, heading back towards the house. Their movements were a bit stiff and uncomfortable, though, making the hike even longer. They were all completely soaked to the core of the bones with blue-silver vampire venom. Unfortunately for them, they blood became sticky and dried, making it close to unbearable. They were sore and mentally exhausted, all the recent events taking a toll on their minds.

They soon arrived back at the large abode. They were met with the sight of the other vampires that were residing there inspecting the damage that was made. James, the owner of the place and others in the area, walked up to the group. His hands were on his hips, eyes narrowed and lips tight.

"Do I even want to know?" Sakura stepped forward slightly, rubbing her arm nervously.

"I'll pay for everything, I swear!" she blurted out suddenly. James threw his head back and laughed loudly, causing others around to stare.

"Sakura, I honestly couldn't care less about my place—I can cover that. I was referring to all of you!" he said, nodding to their injuries, some of which were already beginning to heal.

"Oh, well . . . Orochimaru is kinda out to get us, and we had to take down some of his lackeys," Tiashi explained, a little sheepish. The man nodded, a sigh passing through his lips.

"Should I send out a warning to the others?"

"Yeah, you probably should," Sakura replied, almost reluctant to the idea. She didn't really feel like getting other people involved in their situation.

"Oh, and by the way—there's someone here who's looking for you," James said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder towards the house. Sakura's gaze shifted slightly and landed on a woman.

She was standing patiently at the front porch. She was—by the looks of it—still a very young vampire, though looked as if she was changed at about twenty or maybe twenty-two years of age. She had long, flowing red hair that curled its way down to her lower back gracefully. She was a thin person, but slightly built. The stranger had the kind of face that you would remember even if you only saw it once. Her skin was darker than most—she was dark when human. She wore a plain black dress; the torso portion of the garment snug around her curved figure, while the skirt of it flowed out to her knees. She didn't wear any shoes.

'_A sexy dress, but no heels? Odd . . .'_ Sakura thought dimly.

The woman's head turned around and her eyes immediately locked with Sakura's. Sakura, along with the others, tensed when they saw that her eyes were a deep, crimson red.

"So she's a meat-eater," Tiashi mumbled, though she was so quiet that only the others next to her could hear what was said. Still, Itachi quickly pulled her roughly to him and clamped his hand firmly over her mouth.

When the strange woman made no indication that she had heard, or that she was going to come over to them, Sakura decided to test her.

And as Sakura had planned, the woman's body began to move under Sakura's control. When she met some form of resistance in the woman, she put more strength into it until it was to the point that the woman was visible struggling to gain back some amount of control over her own body.

When she was a few feet away, Sakura suddenly released her will control, causing the woman to stumble and fall to her knees at Sakura's feet.

"Hell, my name is Sakura Haruno. And who might you be?" she asked kindly, tilting her head to the side in an "innocent" manner. Shakily, the woman stood up. Even though she was an inch or two shorter than Sakura, she still made herself look Sakura dead in the eyes without showing any emotion. "So," Sakura began, "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked again.

"My name is Suki."

"No last name?" James asked curiously. He was starting to get on the same track of mind about this woman that Sakura was. Suki ignored him completely.

"I am here to help stop Orochimaru."

All the vampires in the near vicinity froze in what they were doing and stared at the red-headed woman. Small mumblings, barely audible to their own ears, broke out amoung a couple of them. The name of the Sannin Vampire was practically taboo with these people. After all, it was his doing that had torn apaort one of the strongest covens in this area of the world, and they were the only survivors.

Sakura eyed the woman emotionlessly. "Is that so?"

* * *

**I'M BETAing SOMEONE! Her name is midnight-romance423 and her first story is up and is great so far and you all should gor ead it! I like it so far! SO GO! **

**Anywho! I've just edumakated my mother on modern technology (FACEBOOK) and now she's all giddy over it. Kinda scary.**

**Next Chapter!: **_Hatred_


	35. Hatred

_35. Hatred._

* * *

"Why would you come to us if you wanted to stop Orochimaru?" Sakura asked after the thick silence.

"Because he is a Sannin Vampire. I knew I could not do this on my own, so I tracked down the ones I knew I could go to," Suki replied immediately. Sakura nodded lightly.

"But if you wanted help, why not go to Lady Tsunade?" she asked.

"Um . . . who?"

The people who were and were no longer watching all suddenly stopped (again) and stared in shock and disbelief at the woman and sharing looks with one another. The mumblings started up again, until Sakura spoke, causing them all to stop and listen.

"You . . . don't know who Lady Tsunade is?" Sakura interrogated suspiciously. She watched as the deep confusion that was evident in Suki's eyes grow to another level.

"No. Is she someone important?" she asked slowly.

"ARE YOU _SERIOUS_?" Itachi forcefully quieted Tiashi once more. Once he had a firm hold on his girlfriend, he began to drag her back into the damaged house. Once they were out of sight, Sakura turned back to Suki. She stared at the woman before her. So she wanted to take down Orochimaru? She knew that this man was a Sannin Vampire, and that he was dangerous. And yet . . . she doesn't even know about Lady Tsunade? That wasn't normal. _Everyone_ knew about her—she is one of the Sannin Vampires. If Suki knows that Orochimaru is one, wouldn't she know that Tsunade is one, also? And then how is it that when even the _council _doesn't know where Sakura and her friends are—this woman does?

Something didn't set right with Sakura about this woman.

"Come inside and we'll fill you in."

* * *

After Sakura had given Suki and everyone else a glass of deer's blood, she explained to the newcomer everything that was explained to Sasuke and any other newborn vampire. The woman seemed to understand everything quickly. (Sakura tried her best not to think too much on how Sasuke was also a quick learner, as well.) Then it was Sakura's turn to as a few questions.

"So why are you after Orochimaru?" she asked. The others listened closely for the answer while Tiashi kept a close eye on movements and facial expressions. It was a few seconds before Suki answered.

"He syred me, then used me as a sex toy," she answered her, voice shaking slightly. If there had been any chatter going on in the room, it would have stopped immedeately. Everyone stared at Suki, some with horror, some with sympathy and sadness.

And one with secret suspicion.

Tiashi spoke up.

"Hey, I really don't mean to pull up any bad memories for you, but for research's sake—do you think you could maybe describe the experience of him syring you?" she asked politely and calmly. The woman took a shuddering breath, her eyes closing.

"I'll never forget it. It seems like vampire memories are so much more detailed tan the human ones," she said quietly. "He had pinned me down . . . on a bed. I tried to get away, to shake him off, but he was so strong . . . When he bit me . . ." She swallowed before continuing, her hands clenching. Her face had become extremly pale. "When he bit me, it felt like I was being choked over and over—" she suddenly stopped, deep pain in her eyes. Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It's alright, Suki. We understand if it's too much right now. I think some hunting will do you some good." A man then appeared at the doorway. "Carlos will take you." Suki glanced at the olive-skinned man and then nodded numbly. Carlos led her out the door and into the forest surrounding the area.

After a few minutes of silence, Tiashi leaned back in the chair that she was sitting in, rocking it back and forth on its back two legs. "Oh, she's almost that good."

"What do you mean?" her boyfriend questioned.

"Had I not been an expert at this for over twenty years of experience, I never would have known that she was lying. She almost fooled me there. Did you catch that one moment, Sakura? And her description?" Tiashi asked, narrowing her eyes just slightly.

Everyone turned to Sakura as she nodded. The rest of the vampires in the house came into the room. They had all been secretly listening in and now they all had the gut feeling that something was up. "I'll let Tiashi explain the moment," Sakura said.

"First let me inform you all that I have been well trained into reading people since before I was turned over twenty years ago. I know when someone is lying or telling the truth—"

"You mean like that one show, _"Lie to Me"_?" Naruto exclaimed. Tiashi's eye twitched.

"Yes. Like that 'one show'. Dumbass. Anyway, I know what I saw. It's true that Suki has never heard of Lady Tsunade before, for those of you who were wondering about that. But I have to question her motives. To start off, I do believe that her experience when being syred wasn't pleasant . . . no one's is. So I can tell you that her choice to become a vampire wasn't hers at all. Obviously. When I asked about her hatred for Orochimaru, she said that he had syred her—"

"Yes," a man said. "We were all sitting here when she described it. Get to the point, woman."

After a few more eye twitches and being interrupted again and the rude demand, Tiashi continued. "Right after she said he syred her, her lips stroked each other—when she swallowed.

"And why is that significant?" another person asked curiously.

"Because it is a sure sign that she was not confident in her words," Tiashi explained. "There are many ways to show that you don't believe in your own words, but all were covered except for that one. And she was so close to covering that one, as well. I was lucky that I caught it."

"So Orochimaru didn't syre her?"

"No, he didn't," Sakura answered. All eye turned towards the pink-haired female in question. "Almost everything that came out of her mouth was a lie."

* * *

**Omg a cliffy! So, I didn't realize until after I posted the chapter yesterday that it was SUPER short-like, it-pained-me-dearly short. So I thought, "I SHOULD GIVE THEM ANOTHER!"**

**So I did! :)**

**Next chapter**_!: Beginning of the End_

******Just a few more chapters to go and then the SEQUEL!**


	36. The Beginning of the End

_36. Beginning of the End_

* * *

"How do you know?" someone asked. If Tiashi was only able to catch one small detail to prove that Suki was lying, how was Sakura able to tell that everything was a lie? She wasn't as experienced as the blonde woman in such a job, so how was it possible?

"Because of the description she gave," Sakura said simply. "When a person is being bitten, it feels exactly like how she described it."

"As if you're being shocked by lightning multiple times," a recently-changed man whispered.

"Exactly. But when you are being syred by a Sannin Vampire the experience is completely different . . ."

"How so?" one person asked. A shiver passed through Sakura. She was told it was best not to remember, but there were times when her memories resurfaced at full force. With a deep breath to calm herself and her nerves, she began her own story . . .

_"Sakura, when you feel that your leaving is ready, do call for me and I shall escort you home," Juugo instructed. The young woman nodded and headed toward the large building after pecking Juugo on the cheek. As always, he would stand outside and wait for her to simply say so and he would hear her request. _

_Sakura hoped that the meeting with the village doctor would go quickly so she could get back to Juugo. She was going to have a little talk with him about finding someone who would be willing to syre her. it would be three years tomorrow that Sakura had boldly announced to Juugo about her desire to become a vampire. Tomorrow was also the day that Sakura turned nineteen. The day people would no longer see her as a child, but instead as a young adult. _

_When she had last mention said wish, her immortal friend only said that he needed more time to think about letting her be turned. And that was over six months ago. _

_As Sakura walked up the stairs in the building, she slowly started to feel a little nauseous. The feeling began stronger the higher she ascended. She came up to the door, the letter she was to give the woman inside starting to wrinkle under her firm grip. Sakura raised her free hand and rapped her knuckles on the wooden door three times. From her soft knocking, the door creaked open, revealing a darkened room._

_The light from the setting spring sun filtered into the room through a window that was covered in shredded fabrics. There was broken furniture and several scrolls scattered all over the floor. Sakura walked slowly through the room, cautious of the bits and pieces of glass that was laying everywhere. As she looked through the eerie shadows, Sakura noticed a figure in the corner of the wrecked room. They seemed to be hunched over. Upon getting closer, Sakura was finally able to recognize the person._

_"Madam Tsunade!" _

_Sakura tried to hurry to the famous doctor, but then she felt her body suddenly freeze. The woman's eyes were wild, her expression becoming slightly animalistic. It was such a sight that it left Sakura almost quaking in her fancy shoes. _

_With quick speed, Sakura was knocked over to the ground with Tsunade leaning over her, in a way that was meant to be dominating. A chuckling man walked into view from the darkest corner of the room, his pale skin and long, greasy black hair a prominent feature. His eyes were shinning with a yellow light that slowly seemed to fade into a deep red. His pupils were like that of a cat._

_Sakura had only known one other person to have eyes like that._

_"Go ahead, Tsunade; take a little bite, it won't hurt anything," he chided smoothly, his voice sending hard chills up and down Sakura's back. Sakura looked up, staring right into the honey-brown eyes of the person she had always so greatly admired. There was pain and slightly confusion in those deep eyes. But they were quickly overcome by a sudden bloodlust and desire for thirst, and Sakura came to two fearfully shocking revelations._

_One: Madam Tsunade was a vampire. But this little fact didn't even compare to the second thing that Sakura had realized._

_Two: She was going to die here._

_With that thought repeating itself mercilessly in her mind, Sakura thrashed around with every fiber of her being. But it was pointless. Juugo had been right. She was frail and weak. He had been right all along._

_Suddenly, Sakura felt a slight pinch in her neck. _

_And then it was the beginning of the horrifying end._

_She heard this loud, high pitched noise suddenly fill the room and felt her throat go all scratchy. The little pinch in her neck had become like a knife being stabbed into her. a dry, rusty knife covered with salt. As the female vampire drank from the wound that she had inflicted, Sakura slowly felt the rest of her body go completely numb, which had felt so odd after being so tense and filled with adrenaline. In comparison to the rest of her body, the numbness made the pain in her neck seem even more painful that it already was. _

_Sakura then became aware of everything else around her. She saw Tsunade struggling internally to pry herself up off of the floor. Orochimaru just happened to be fighting off an enraged Juugo, who was crying out for his beloved friend. Said girl then felt like there was poisonous molten lava with fire running through her veins, burning her insides. And the, slowly, the burning sensation of the sun itself cooled, and cooled, and then took on a sensation like freezing. She felt every part of her go so cold, it was as if she was frozen in a block of ice in the middle of the cold arctic, twenty feet under a pack of snow. Why did she suddenly have to be brought back to all of the pain?_

_As the pain in her body became greater, switching between burning and freezing, Sakura's mind became weaker. She felt unbearably dizzy and the ability to form a coherent thought was long gone. The only thing that Sakura could make any sense of was the fact that the pain would sooner or later be over. _

_Her soul would be let free. _

Sakura stood up abruptly and stalked out of the room.

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Idiot, she was having another flashback."

Once outside, Sakura raced as fast as she could to the top peak of the mountain segment she was on. The desire to be alone was acting as her body's long-gone adrenaline. Within minutes, she was perched on a sturdy branch, high up in a green pine tree. Sakura gazed out over the entire west side of the mountain, taking in all of its memorizing details. The cabins and cottages that were scattered along the slope of the mountainside; the black roads that were spiraling along, around nature's creations, moving with the land instead of through it; the bustling town on the small valley in the side of the mountain.

Why did she all of a sudden remember all of that? It had been over eleven hundred years—and she had done so well keeping it locked away for so long, why now? Why now when things were crazy, and she needed to keep a straight head? She didn't need any distractions.

Though it was a good thing she didn't tell the group the entire story—only what the bite of a Sannin Vampire would feel shuddered, like compared to a regular bite. Sakura shuddered, her hand going to the hollow an inch under her ear, where a scar would always remain.

_'What the . . .?'_

Sakura focused her vision on a point about two miles from the foot of the mountain. She suddenly stood up and dashed away, fear taking her back to the others.

_'I have to warn them!'_

* * *

**Here you go! Okay, so after a while, a started up again on the sequel's story (albeit, slowly). I'm not giving up on this series. Also, sooner or later, I'll be posting a short story about Derek Souza. It'll be three chapters, but each one will be LOOONNGG! (like, seriously long.)**

**Also! PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PHOTOGRAPHY! There will be a link on my profile, but I'd really like to get some more support for it!**


	37. A Shocking Truth

_37. A Shocking Truth_

* * *

When Sakura entered the house, the first thing she saw was Suki conversing with the others. Suki looked like she was just one of the others, easily fitting into their small group. As Sakura looked closure, there was a small marking on the back of her neck. It looked like three sixes circling around an invisible central point on her skin. She recognized it as Orochimaru's symbol given to one that he claimed when syred. In that instant, Sakura lost all conscious thought as old ways came rushing back into her system. Rushing forward, Sakura slammed the woman down onto the floor. She held a vile filled with fatal toxins at the side of her neck.

"Sakura, what was that for?" Naruto shouted. She ignored the shocked stares and bent down to Suki's ear.

"You led him here, didn't you?" she whispered coldly. She ignored everything else around her and focused only at the task at hand. Apparently, it was just that easy to fall back into an old routine.

"W-what? I don't know what you're talking about!" Suki shouted, struggling in Sakura's vile-like grip on her arms. It took the century-old vampiress to not snap off the woman's appendages and just get rid of her now while it would still be so easy. It wouldn't even take that long. Like she thought before, routine was just that easy to get back into when your body remembered the steps all on its own. But control was going to have to be a main element here.

Damn.

"You're working for Orochimaru!" Sakura shouted. "You lied to us earlier, you have his symbol on the back of your shoulder, and we have less than a minute until he's here!" she said accusingly. That was all that really needed to be said for the mood in the room to take a 180.

Immediately, everyone in the house stopped what they were doing. The room was completely dead silent; even the wildlife outside had frozen still. As they listened closely, they heard distant laughter, loud and maniacal laughter. Such a sound was known for the battle cry of a Sound Vampire. And by how many footsteps there seemed to be, there were many of them. Maybe even around a hundred more than who was present in the house. Listening closer, it was soon realized that the enemy forces were already coming into their section of the mountain. It would be mere seconds until they arrived.

"Everyone, scatter!" Sakura whispered. The entire house heard her and silently went to different parts of the mountain, all keeping an ear and eye on the enemy. Leaving immediately, Sakura and Itachi waited a mile in front of the cabin for the Sound Vampires, Suki still in Sakura's vice grip. Sakura noticed that the man next to her was practically tapping his foot in anticipation, his jaw firmly clenched. "Calm down, Itachi," she said flatly.

The man did his best to relax, though considering the current situation that was just a bit difficult. He was going to come face-to-face with his brother, Orochimaru, and Kabuto for the first time in months. He had every reason to be tense and stiff. But at this moment, they all needed to be strong and keep a straight face.

Less than three seconds later, it was three standing against three. Orochimaru smiled at Sakura and Itachi. "So, we meet again for one last time. I see you have Suki," he said slowly, nodding towards the captured woman.

"Yeah, we have your little spy," Itachi said lowly with a sneer. Kabuto chuckled, making Sakura and Itachi both frown.

"A spy? Would we honestly do something so low?" he asked. He didn't wait for any answer from them. "You see Sakura, Itachi, Suki there does not belong to Orochimaru in any way."

"What? Do you two think we're that stupid?" Sakura shouted, her eyes a cold glare. "Just by interrogating her, I knew there was something that seemed off. When I saw the Sound symbol on her shoulder, my suspicions were confirmed!" she declared, giving the woman in her grip a firm shake. By the arm. Orochimaru began to outright laugh. "What's so funny?" she nearly screamed, more enraged than she thought possible. Sakura could feel herself shaking, could sense the tint of red on the edges of her vision, but thought nothing of it—at the moment, nothing else mattered but ending this damned battle.

Orochimaru almost smiled. He could remember the old days when Sakura had truly been one of the smartest vampires in history. He had almost feared the power that she welded. Unfortunately, someone had to go and make the girl _good_ and _sensible_. Sometimes, he really missed the old Sakura. The _real_ Sakura. The one that might still be alive in this doll that stood before him.

Itachi watched in almost horror at the new woman he was seeing. The new Sakura he was seeing.

He could vaguely remember the stories that his great grandfather had told him back when he was a little boy. About a girl who was more powerful than her creators. She had powers that were unimaginable and dangerous. She had plans of destroying the world. She was a dark force to be reckoned with that made all other vampires tremble in her wake. She thought nothing of human life and sacrifice to her was never really _a sacrifice_ because she didn't care about anyone or anything but herself. She could kill mercilessly without hesitation and had the ability to convince an army to follow her lead. And she had done those things.

It was in these short moments that Itachi hoped beyond anything that the stories didn't revolve around Sakura.

"Sakura, the time you've spent with these fools half of our existence has caused you to lose that common sense of yours. You have overlooked everything. When my symbol is forever engraved into the skin of a vampire, we never put it in easy view. On Suki, it would have gone either on her lower back or under her breast, above the ribcage. She had that tattoo before we found her. Also, she doesn't belong to _me_ because she is sexual property of someone _else_," he finished calmly, a sly smile adorning his thin lips.

Sakura blinked in confusion at the older man's words. Didn't belong to him? '_But that doesn't make any sense! He recognizes her—he admitted to finding her. But why didn't he take her as his own slave? And who could she possible belong to? Kabuto isn't interested in that sort of thing. So that only leaves. . '_

"Oh no . . ." Sakura looked to her right at Itachi. She carefully studied his features. His face was strangely contorted in the worst of ways. His dark eyes were wide. Surprise. His brows were slanted downwards. Anger. His top lip was slightly curled up. Disgust.

Following his trail of vision, Sakura found what he was glaring so harshly at. Or rather, _who_ he was glaring harshly at.

Chin pointed slightly lower than usual; eyes carefully averted, though not seeming like it; lips a thin line. All signs of deeply hidden guilt.

Sakura's entire façade fell as she stared at Sasuke in complete and total disbelief. Her hold on Suki slowly fell, letting the woman sprint away, fearing the tense atmosphere in the area. Sakura couldn't even believe it. All the signs were there, she saw them, and they had made perfect sense. But for some reason, she still couldn't grasp the concept that Sasuke had _used_ an innocent woman as a _sex__ toy_.

But then again, the more she thought about it all, the more she started to truly believe it. Sasuke was syred by Orochimaru, has been with Orochimaru for nearly five months, and also, he had little respect for women even before he was a vampire.

"I can't believe you," she whispered.

Sasuke's head slowly turned, sending Sakura a cold stare directed towards her. He raised a brow, as if questioning her. All traces of any guilt were whipped clean off his features. Sakura glared even harder than him.

"I can't believe that you would stoop so low. But I guess lies and deception and betrayal are just a part of life that we all have to accept. But do you know what else we all have to deal with every once and a while?" she asked. Her tone faked a sweetness that was truly so cold in its core that even Itachi had to fight off the chills of fear that raced up his spine. He watched as her expression became icy and twisted in a way he'd never seen on anyone before.

"_Uncontrollable murder_."

* * *

**So, it's late. I know. But I've been focing myself to keep writing the sequel, so I think I'm starting to get back into gears. PLEASE GO READ MY NEW STORY! :) I want to know what people think of it. **

**So, I might be gone next week in Winsconsin ( I sooo didn't spell that right) to visit family, so I don't know when I'll update next. Maybe end of this week?**


	38. Arrival: The Battle Begins

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Nope.**

* * *

_38. Arrival: The Battle Begins_

* * *

Orochimaru truly wanted to laugh out loud in sheer mirth. _She was so close!_ He could practically feel the killing intent radiating off the younger woman. He wanted to see the feisty little monster come back out and play. He wanted to see her shed blood like she used to. He wanted her on _his_ side. But no, that wouldn't do—he needed her to break first, and he knew how to play with words to do so. He only hoped that she wasn't too far gone that she would start her _sensible thinking_ again.

"Sakura, dear, how can you even plan to start his death when _I_ am still here and alive, standing right in front of you?" Orochimaru asked, spreading his arms out in welcome. Sakura ground her teeth together, seething.

_'Crap, he's right! At this matchup, I'm the only one who can face Orochimaru until everyone else finishes off the _army_ he's brought,'_ she thought bitterly. Sakura didn't like the fact that Orochimaru seemed to know all of this before her and was just simply reminding her of the fact.

Bastard.

Before she could begin to formulate any plans, though, she heard two people—no, three people—approaching the clearing they were standing in. Sakura and Itachi practically sighed in relief when they both saw Jiryiah, Tsunade, and Shizune appear through the thick trees.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Jiryiah said. He gave Orochimaru a strange grin. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said. In another situation, Sakura could have laughed. Despite what was going on around him, Jiryiah always seemed to be the joker of the situation, always putting on an easy smile for everyone. Even for the ones he truly hated.

Orochimaru frowned in distaste and annoyance. "Shut it, fool," he mumbled. "This is nothing like old times." Tsunade stepped forward in a crouch. Her arms were at the ready, her teeth slightly barred. She looked both beautiful and fierce at the same time. It was something that many had always admired about her.

"No," she said, her voice a light growl in her throat. "It definitely isn't."

She jumped forward with all the agility a vampire could ever have, Jiryiah following her quick lead. Orochimaru mirrored their movements, becoming the demon he truly was known for. Somehow the two Sannin managed to lead Orochimaru to a valley in the mountains, keeping him away from anyone else.

As the Sannin faced off against each other, Shizune and Itachi went up against Kabuto. Before any fighting had begun, Itachi whispered, "Bring him back to us," in Sakura's ear. She gave him a slight nod, a bit distracted.

'_I have to do this!'_ she thought darkly. And she was . . . almost excited for what was to come. She could feel a buzzing going through her veins. It was odd, but strangely familiar.

She didn't know where it came from, but she was starting to like it.

Seconds later, Itachi and Shizune had taken Kabuto far off into another direction. Now it was only them. The two apprentices of the Sannin about to face off in battle. Sakura found it almost hilarious. She was there for this kid (_man)_ when his whole world was changing. And now they were going to be enemies.

Irony was a bitch.

She carefully calculated what his fighting style might be. It definitely wasn't going to be like her's anymore. She wanted to take many guesses, but with the relaxed pose he currently had going, she didn't know at all what he was going to do next. It was greatly irritating, not knowing what was to come. Based on how he used to be, Sakura assumed that he would be one to take the offensive side in a battle. Well, so would she.

Thinking things through quickly, Sakura determined just how the battle was going to play out and end.

In the blink of an eye, she rushed forward and lunged at Sasuke, her fist pulled back. To avoid the sudden attack, Sasuke back flipped into the air, landing in a tree several meters away. He skidded to a stop, ignoring the dust fly around him. He noticed that when Sakura pulled back up and pulled her fist from the ground, there was an imprint of her fingers and knuckles in the rock beneath her.

Such power, Sasuke then realized, would have at least cracked his jaw. At least.

Not wanting to waste any time he may not have, Sasuke ran as fast as he could, leading Sakura away from everyone else. As he sprinted through the trees, Sasuke began to worry. He was just now realizing all of the major holes in his plan. His _only_ plan.

He knew how Sakura tended to be. He had spent an entire year with her. She was more hardheaded than him and Naruto put together—and that was saying something. What if she didn't believe him? What if she though he was lying to her to try and fool her?

_'No. I can't think like that. Not yet, anyway,'_ he thought.

"Ugh!"

Being so caught up in his own thoughts, Sasuke failed to notice Sakura gaining up on him. She had quietly sprung forward, knocking him to the ground.

In mid-air, he turned over and grabbed Sakura by the ankle. He swung her into a few trees, the collision making a cracking noise in the quiet forest. Both vampires fell to the earth floor, keeping a cautious eye on each other. Her face was a calm mask, looking like the expression most people would confuse for content.

_'She's using the poker face again'_ he thought suddenly. With that thought still echoing in his mind, Sasuke knew that he was going to have a more significant amount of difficulty in reading any of her following attacks.

Still watching the other vampire, Sasuke and Sakura slowly lifted themselves off of the ground into a standing position. As they circled each other, Sasuke discreetly set his plan into motion. He swiftly shifted his weight cautiously to the balls of his feet. At the perfect and opportune moment, he made his surprise move.

Going as quickly as possible, Sasuke pounced forward and took Sakura to the ground. He had not realized that they were on a lope until they had started rolling down. He kept a firm grip on her upper arms, not letting her slip away while he had her.

They tumbled down the mountain side, still strangling each other, until they came to the edge of a cliff and rolled off. Sasuke grabbed a hold of the rock, feeling Sakura grab his ankle out of sudden desperation.

Hey, they were vampires, but they weren't totally invincible.

"Now that I know you aren't going anywhere, maybe now you'll listen," Sasuke said.

* * *

**So, it's a cliffy. Literally. And . . . yeah. I'm late on this.**

**ONE. CHAPTER. LEFT.**

**AND THEN THE SEQUEL.**

**Which I won't post until I have more chapters typed and written. So, since school starts on 9/2 (late, right? construction going on) I'll try to start writing more now, and get more typing done when I have the time. I have 8 classes this year, one of them being an independent study, I'm thinking about going for the play, and and I have to keep up in my social life. So, I'm not going to have much time. And considering I'm a sophmore, I'll have OGT's this year (state graduation tests) so that means studying like crazy. -sigh-**

**Next Chapter: **_The Truth is Revealed_


	39. It Isn't Over

_39. It Isn't Over . . ._

* * *

"In case you have somehow forgotten, this situation is entirely _your fault!_" Sakura shouted up from below him. Sasuke held himself back from laughing.

"It takes two to tango, darling," came Sasuke's sarcastic response. In wordless reply, Sakura's grip around Sasuke's ankle tightened. He hissed at the feeling of his bones so close to snapping under her strength. "Ah! Okay, okay! Jeez, don't get over-emotional, Sakura."

"Don't you _dare_ order _me_ around you sick, twisted, psychotic, backstabbing rapist!" she growled.

Taking it offensively, Sasuke acted silently. He swung his leg forward sharply, causing Sakura to be slammed into the face of the cliff. However, the force of the impact was strong enough to shake the two, causing Sasuke's grip to slip slightly on the edge of the rock. "Don't do that!" Sakura snapped. "Screw what the others want; I'm going to slit your throat for this!" she yelled. Sasuke felt his brow twitch from irritation.

The woman was nice and all, but she really knew how to get on his nerves. He took a few deep breaths before replying back to her comment.

"Do what you want, but you _will _hear me out first!" he shouted.

After a few seconds when Sakura didn't respond, Sasuke made his move. Making sure he had a good grip on the ledge, Sasuke carefully took one hand and held it out for Sakura to grab. When she took it firmly, Sasuke swiftly swung her up and back over the edge of the rock where she would be safe. He quickly put his hand back on the rock to prevent himself from falling as a shadow came over him. Looking up he noticed that it was a very irritated Sakura. She was sitting Indian-style right in front of him, glaring down at him.

"Aren't you going to help me up?"

"Why? You can talk from there, can't you?" the woman retorted.

Scoffing, Sasuke carefully pulled himself back onto the rock, being careful not to slip off in the process. Once he was up, he sat across from Sakura after both had scooted away from the edge of the cliff. For a few minutes Sakura looked everywhere but at Sasuke, who was calmly staring right at her. He wasn't going to push her too much on this—he would force himself to be as patient as possible with her. For personal reasons, it was important that she believe him. If she didn't believe him, who else would? Itachi, maybe, and possibly Naruto, but who else? Everyone would be after him for the rest of his never-ending life. He needed her to trust him. He wanted her to believe that he was still the same guy.

Sakura then looked at him, her face carefully clean on anything that may hint to what she's thinking. Sasuke took this as a bad sign. "What is it that you have to say?" she asked slowly through clenched teeth.

"What all do you want to know? I'll be completely honest with you." He watched as Sakura searched his face, looking for any lie in that statement.

She found none.

"Was Suki your sex toy?" she asked boldly. Sasuke grimaced slightly from disgust.

"No, nothing of the sort. Next question."

"Why does she . . . work for you?" she asked. Her voice still had a demanding tone to it. "What does she do for you?" Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Orochimaru gave her to me as someone to feed off of. I made her a deal. By turning her, I wouldn't kill her, but in return she'd have to do some spy work for me."

"Spy work?"

"Yes."

Sasuke watched as Sakura struggled with her next question. She seemed to be debating on even asking it.

"Why did you leave?" Sasuke then to noticed to how Sakura's voice had gone flat and devoid of emotion. The switch was so sudden.

"Because it was the best given opportunity," he answered, his voice softer.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean, huh?" she snapped coldly. Sasuke resisted the sudden urge to roll his eyes at her mood swings.

_Pfft, women._

"It was obvious that Orochimaru was becoming a threat. To vampires and humans. Orochimaru already wanted me on his side—that's what he found me for in the first place. By going to him, and then easily earning his trust, I would have access to almost all of his plans. That's where Suki comes in. When I changed her, I later used an ancient method of communication I'd heard about and then sent her off to keep tabs on you and the others." When Sasuke paused in his confession of the truth, he barely registered how close he and Sakura were now sitting. Their knees were almost touching. "Any more questions?" he asked calmly.

He stared into her eyes, trying to trace any emotion. Sakura, though, was staring at the ground in concentration. Sasuke watched as the look changed to confusion, anger, pain, and then more anger, and then settle for something calm. Sasuke wanted to call it a look of acceptance, but it seemed . . . darker somehow.

"Sakura?" Sasuke's hand involuntarily reached up, his fingers about to stroke themselves across her thin white cheek. He almost touched her skin, but then his entire arm suddenly pinned itself to the side of his body. As if it had a mind of its own.

Sakura stood, not once looking at him. "Fine." As she began walking away Sasuke stood and followed. When he was mere feet from her, he was suddenly lurched backwards. "Leave me alone, Uchiha," he heard her whisper.

A few hours later, Sakura arrived at the burning site. She knew Sasuke was right behind her. At the moment, she really didn't care. She was just so exhausted . . .

She and Sasuke watched as Tsunade and Jiryiah threw in the limbs of Orochimaru. They had saved him for last, by the looks of it. As people noticed Sasuke, the atmosphere became incredibly tense at his presence. Itachi and Naruto gave Sakura questioning looks, almost desperate. She sighed, getting the crowd's attention.

"He didn't have any loyalty to Orochimaru. It was all a trick to gather plans and information," she explained tersely. Everyone seemed to accept that.

Naruto and Itachi walked over, both whacking Sasuke on the head.

"What the heck?"

His brother gave him a half-hearted glare, his arms crossed. "You know what you did," he said slowly. After a moment, though, he smirked and hugged his baby brother by the shoulders.

"Hello?" Kiba shouted. "People, we just defeated Orochimaru, Kabuto, and like, an army of the sound vampires!" Smiles were brought to everyone's face as cheers went around.

Tiashi and Hinata walked up to the silent Sakura. She stood there, staring into the giant flames. She didn't know what she was supposed to feel about what Sasuke had done. On one side, she was angry that he never said anything to her. She wondered if he just didn't trust her enough to tell her what was going on; it would have saved her a lot of time, energy, and feelings of hurt. On the other hand, she was relieved that he had never changed-that he was still the Sasuke she had spent nearly an entire year with. It was as if a burden had been lifted.

But there was still another thing troubling her dark mind.

"Everything okay, Sakura?" Hinata whispered. Everyone else was so caught up in their own conversations they paid no attention to the three women.

Sakura gave a slight shake of her head. "I don't know," she said just as quietly. "I've just got this strange feeling . . . Hinata, I want you to keep an eye on things. Tiashi, when we get back, I want you to search up any unusual headlines from the past few years."

"Why?"

"Because things are only going to get worse from this point on."

* * *

**So. That is the last chapter. OMIGOD IT TOOK SOOOOO LONG! I understand this. Obviously, there will be a sequel. There's no way I could leave you guys hanging after THIS ending! But the next part in the trilogy is coming slowly. This is because I want it to be as good (or better) as the first part. I think I'll start posting the next story in a few months once I've got more written. For now, I'll work more on **_More To The Eye_**. **

**THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT! With out it, this story would have ended before it even really got started! I want you guys to pick your favorite part of this story-i want to draw a picture of it! FOR YOU AMAZING PEOPLE!**

**The next story? **

_AKATSUKI ARK: BLOODSHED._


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